Best Wishes
by Anoka Kon
Summary: Trapped in a futuristic world created by his own imagination, Kai gets his wish granted. Beyblades do not exist. However, the wish also affects the people he meets and the friends he thought he had. Be careful what you wish for.
1. Welcome To You

There was a buzz in the room. That buzz was rather low in volume, only making his ears twitch before pulling the sheets over his head and rolling over to his side. The buzzing continued however, wanting him to get up and press the off button.

The man sighed, seeing no reason to let the ringer go on and on. A hand reached out feebly, groping at the bedside table and feeling for the alarm clock. Eventually his fingers found the button and they pressed down, silencing the stupid buzzing noise.

Pulling the sheets back over his now cold arm, he snuggled into his bed and began to fall back asleep. A few moments of sleep passed over him before his brain screamed at him and forced him to sit upright in his bed, gripping the sheets in fear.

This was not his bed.

His grey eyes surveyed the area, and only after a quick scan did he realize that this was not his room either. The sheets dropped down as he felt for his head, pressing his palms against his temples. Licking his lips and looking around, the man kicked off the sheets and stood up.

The room was dark, and moving towards the curtains to his left he thrust them open, seeing the sunlight blind him. He shielded his eyes until they adjusted, blinking a few times to get rid of the haze that seemed to fill his vision. He regained his sight, and looking out the glass he almost fainted.

A city greeted him this morning, the skyscrapers and buildings gleaming in the early morning sun. The shimmer to the left of the city was the ocean that harbored gulls that flew past his window with such speed that he had to take a second look to make sure they were real. As he pressed his hands against the glass, he looked down to see the people below in the streets, bustling about and going towards their destination. The city was alive and running normally, as if this was his own world.

"Mister Hiwatari?"

The sudden call startled him, Kai jumping towards a phone that happened to be sitting on a desk that occupied this space. He pressed on the intercom button and spoke rapidly, his voice shaking.

"Y-Yes?"

"Sir, it's ten minutes after your curfew. Are you feeling alright? Shall I send someone up to give you your morning coffee?"

"Coffee?"

There came a silence on the other end, making Kai believe that whoever was on the other end hung up on him.

"Mister Hiwatari, I'm sending up your assistant. Maybe you need something to drink to clear your head. I know the deals yesterday had you all riled up, but we can fix that problem." A click came, leaving Kai even more confused then he already was.

Standing up and going towards the bed he sat down again, shaking his head. His breathing slowed now, his eyes shutting and his mind trying to make sense of everything around him. However, his brain to accept multiple stimulus at once which caused an overload in his receptive systems.

He was completely confused.

_Revamp Kai. What the hell is going on? _

He breathed out, trying to calm his already fried nerves. _Alright, when I woke up, the first thing I noticed was that this wasn't my bed. This isn't my room, this isn't my…_

A sudden thought came to him, and as he rushed towards the bathroom (which was left open for some reason) he took a look at himself in the mirror. Kai ran a hand down his face and then through his hair, almost sure that the person who looked back at him was not him at all but some other entity that resembled him. A doppelganger.

His eyes were still the same color, his hair was still the same silver grey color, but something about him was different. His cheekbones were more pronounced, his skin was much less glossy. His muscles were more tone than before, and he had hair in places he didn't know he had hair before. He was not Kai.

The man stepped back, feeling the stubble that lined his chin and the sweat that was already building under his arms. The first thing he had to do was take a shower.

Kai stepped back towards the bedroom, his head and body shaking from the entire stimulus. Upon further examination he realized that the floor was farther than he remembered as well. He had gotten taller somehow as well.

_What the hell is going on? _

Flexing his fingers and trying out his 'new' body, Kai went over to the desk from before and gazed upon the surface. A calendar lined the top, with all the dates crossed out until the supposed day that was today. His eyes fixated upon the year, and for a moment his knees went weak.

2012.

_But… the year… the year was only… His brain screamed and tried to make sense. It was 2003 when I last checked… what the… where am I? WHEN am I? _

Kai licked his lips, silencing all the voices in his head and listening to the only one that seemed to make any sense.

_I was fifteen in 2003. It's 2012. It's nine years later. Fifteen plus nine equals… _

The mental math made him want to faint, but yet it all made sense. He was here in this time, for some reason, older and stronger than he was before.

_I'm twenty four… this is my new body… this is me? What is going on? _

"Mister Hiwatari?"

Jumping back in surprise at the voice a figure came into view that made him want to kiss the ground. A familiar face appeared before him, holding a tray of coffee and a few things to eat for breakfast. The man was clad in a white pressed shirt, his pants black and official looking. Kai stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"Tala?"

Tala blinked, almost taking aback by Kai's statement. "Sir? Are you feeling all right? You never called me by my name before."

"What?"

Tala stared back at him now, almost tilting his head in confusion. Kai looked Tala over, seeing the now older Tala walk over to the desk and place his tray down. He was slim and quiet, almost shy in comparison to the Tala Kai knew. His hair was still red, but instead of an up and out hairstyle, this Tala's hair was posed in a business cut. His eyes were still the same color as well, but a pair of glasses hung over his nose. Kai would still recognize him.

"Sir, are you sure you're all right? You haven't fired anyone today and it's over an hour since your alarm clock woke you up."

"How did you know about that?"

"You wake up at five in the morning everyday and expect a cup of coffee with your breakfast. Sir, do you not remember any of that?"

Kai slowly shook his head and proceeded to sit down upon his bed again, seeing that he was dressed only in boxers. He immediately flushed, but Tala seemed to take no mind to that. Swallowing and speaking, Kai could feel his heart fluttering in his chest.

"Tala… where am I?"

The man narrowed his eyes at Kai, speaking slowly.

"You're in your office Sir. This is the Hiwatari Oil Enterprise. You're the owner of this establishment."


	2. Mr Hiwatari

Kai's throat closed as he swallowed hard, trying to think back to the last thing he remembered. He was at Tyson's house, he had an argument… and then he went to bed. How in the hell did he end up here?

"Sir?"

His head whipped towards the man who stood in front of him, his eyebrows furrowed as if questioning who he was.

"Sir are you sure you're feeling alright? Should I call the Professor?"

Kai stared at him for a moment before taking a breath and shaking his head, running a hand through his hair. A few birds passed by the window outside, catching Kai's eye as he got up again and wandered over to a door that was to the far left of this room.

"Call… the Professor…" he said slowly, treating the words almost as if they were alien to him. His tongue was numb, and that was the best statement he could come out with. He was trapped in a place where he wasn't himself.

Tala nodded his head quickly and bowed to him, speaking softly. "Sir! The Professor will be up in a few minutes." With a quick step of his heel Tala was out the door, closing it behind him.

Kai breathed in, fingering the doorknob of the closet for a second before gaining the courage to open the door. His eyes scanned over the expensive suits that lined his vision, touching a few with his fingertips.

"Silk."

A row of ties was attached to the door as well, Kai's teeth biting his lip as he tried to piece together how he ended up in this place. His feet carried him over to a desk he had seen earlier, plopping himself down upon a huge swivel chair made of leather. The comforting chair gave him little recompense as he stared at the laptop before him. The laptop was the source of information. He could get answers.

Opening the machine quickly he immediately saw that the laptop was password locked, and by pure luck he guessed the right key.

His father's name.

His fingers worked quickly to explore the contents of the computer, scanning over the desktop and finding a few folders labeled peculiarly. There were names of a few oil companies on his desktop, as well as some folders labeled "BUSINESS" and "FINANCE". Clicking on the finance folder he saw a banking statement open up before him.

"Good morning Mr. Hiwatari."

_The computer is talking to me. _

"Would you like to check your balance?"

Kai licked his lips, swallowing again. Was everything now advanced? Did so much time pass that technology improved to that of voice activation? The world seemed so much different now; even the computer screen was different. Sure the machine was there and operating, but the power level was charging through something that resembled a solar panel.

"Mr. Hiwatari, would you like to check your balance?"

Snapping his mind back to reality Kai nodded feverously, speaking. "Y-Yes… I would like to check my balance."

The computer whirred a few times and a few screens popped up, showing graphs of different data points. A few statistics graphs came up as well, following a camera shots of people walking around.

_What is all this? _

"The lobby is functioning as normal Mr. Hiwatari. A former executive entered the building at zero two fifty five and entered into room three zero seven. The executive has not yet used his points and has remained in his room until now. Another executive…"

Kai's ears tuned out the computer's droning voice as he scanned the laptop and tried to make out what all the data was. His body was quivering with a chill but he paid no mind to it as his eyes finally made out a number that seemed to resemble his income.

"Let's see… statement balance…"

A few numbers lined the bar where the statement balance was, and at that point Kai was ready to flip over his desk in happiness. The number of zeroes next to the first few numbers made him believe that there had to be some sort of glitch. He wasn't about to question his own banking, but if the numbers didn't lie… then he was a rich mother fucker.

_Seven… eight… I don't even know… there has to be at least ten or eleven zeroes in this number… holy God I'm filthy rich! _

Shutting off his laptop and closing it Kai rushed to his closet again and look through his suits, eagerness building up inside of him.

_This is why I was able to afford all of this… _

His heart couldn't stop pounding as he ran around the room, opening and closing every door and drawer there was in front of him.

In his journey Kai realized that his bathroom was completely marble and tile, with mirror walls and beautiful gleaming limestone lining his shower. There was a complete tub next to the shower, and the room had to stand at least ten by ten. He didn't take notice of any of this before, and his brain could hardly stand the fact that he loved every second of his examining. Kai nearly jumped out of his skin in giddiness, taking the time to do his business and even brush his teeth.

As he stared at himself once again in the mirror, smiling as he did so. He pushed back his hair with his hand and fixed it, adjusting a few strands and practically jumping out of the bathroom and prancing towards his closet where he found his suits.

Putting on a black suit with a purple tie he walked over to another closet that held all of his shoes. Picking out a pair of leather work shoes he put those on as well, adjusting his tie and clearing his throat.

_I'm rich… I'm rich and I own this company… oh my God…_

His deepest wish had come true. He was rich, he owned a company that made a huge profit, and he owned a beautiful estate. The only thing that nagged on his mind was the fact that he had not seen head or tail of any of his friends. He wondered where they might have gone off to.

A knock at the door made him turn his head, his eyes falling upon a frail looking man holding a clipboard. The man pushed up his glasses over his hair, nervously shifting his feet back and forth. The man was dressed in a lab coat, his brown hair hanging over his ears and covering his eyes. Kai gasped slightly.

"Kenny?"

The man looked up from his clipboard to Kai, taking a step backward. "Mr. Hiwatari Sir, how did you know my name? You've never called me by my name before."

Kai's mouth hung open dumbly as his brain screamed at him to shut up. Eventually he silenced and cleared his throat, swallowing.

"Uh… I uh…"

Kenny tilted his head, taking a closer look at Kai. The man circled Kai, pushing his clipboard a few times.

"Mr. Hiwatari, your assistant told me this morning that you weren't feeling well. You don't seem to remember much of anything today. The last time you had your check up was two days ago and you were fine then." The man clicked his tongue, thinking.

"Did you hit your head on anything?"

Kai shook his head, speaking. "Kenny, something weird is going on." He began, stepping closer to his friend. "We were at Tyson's house, remember? We slept in the living room… you were next to Max, and Max was next to Ray and-"

"Who are Max and Ray?"

Kai stopped, gazing at Kenny in confusion. Did everyone forget everything that ever happened to them?

"Kenny… I went to bed last night… and when I woke up, I was here!" he exclaimed, his nervousness coming back. "I don't know where I am, I don't know anything about this oil company, and I thought you would remember me!"

The man stepped back a bit, holding up his hands. "Sir, maybe you should have your coffee, you're acting rather pecu-"

"I'm telling the truth damnit!" slamming his fist down upon his desk Kai roared at Kenny, subduing him into a frightful silence. Immediately Kenny dropped to his knees and begged at Kai's feet.

"Please sir! You know I have a wife and two children! This is the only job I have! I need the money! I need this job! Don't fire me!"

Staring down at him in confusion Kai shook his head, getting Kenny back up to his feet. "I'm not going to fire you… what's with all this firing stuff anyways? Why does everyone think I'm going to fire them?"

The Professor gazed at him through his hair, the man licking his lips. He spoke slowly. "Sir, you honestly don't remember anything?"

Kai shook his head again.

"Kenny… I told you. The last thing I remember is going to bed… and then I woke up here."

Kenny bit his lip, gathering his clipboard from the floor and adjusting his glasses. Kai took a seat on his bed, shaking his head sadly.

"I just want to know what's going on."

Clicking his tongue Kenny sat down next to Kai and nodded slowly, speaking. "Well, Sir. Why don't you tell me all that you remember from when you went to sleep? Start from the first thing you did that morning… or perhaps the last thing you remember."

Kai gazed back at him, his eyes glazing over with emotion. He tapped his fingers on his leg, nervousness rising in his heart. He had to tell somebody, regardless of who they were.

"Alright."


	3. Remininsce

At the moment the blades clashed, Kai could feel Ray tensing up, the boy growling at the tension. He screamed, sending his fist flying along with his beast. The tiger roared, the holy beast clashing with the blue and silver dragon that fought with its master. Both beasts were locked in battle, their eyes filled with concentration and rage.

The fighting broke abruptly, the blades flying back into both competitors' hands. Ray smiled warmly at his friend, who stood only a few feet away from him. The blue haired boy smiled back, nodding.

"Good battle."

Kai lifted his eyes to see Ray coming closer to him, sitting down and pressing himself against Kai's body. The boy groaned, hearing Ray speak.

"How'd you think I did?"

Kai did not reply but looked away, his eyes following a bird from a tree and into the sky. Ray pursed his lips, tugging on Kai's scarf a little. "Kai?"

The sun was setting now, twilight nearly upon them. The orange and red of the sky blended into beautiful shades that could only be created by Mother Nature herself. Kai stared out at the sky, almost dismissing Ray's comment.

"Kai, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

The boy blinked and thought, his hand coming up to take Kai's hand in his. "C'mon, you can tell me, you know that."

Kai sighed as he felt familiar fingers wrap around his. He wanted to shake them free from the grasp.

"Kai, what're you being so angry about now?"

The blond haired boy smiled at him from a distance, setting his hands upon his hips. "You're always making that face. You should be happy that Ray puts up with you, you know."

Tyson snickered, holding in a laugh. "Yeah, you're the pants in the relationship, but that's no reason to get all sour puss on us."

Kai growled, standing up and walking into the house. Ray watched in silence as his partner walked through the door and into the living room, sitting down again on the hard wooden floor.

Silently, he followed after Kai, speaking softly to him. "Kai, what's wrong? Is Tyson getting on your nerves again?"

Kai did not answer immediately, waiting for Ray to sit down next to him. The boy did as Kai predicted, folding his legs and waiting for an answer.

"I can't handle them."

"What do you mean?"

"They're like children… immature."

"They're only two years younger than you and I are Kai… you have to understand."

"What's there to understand? They're idiots!"

"Kai…" taking Kai's hand again Ray pressed it against his cheek. "Kai, you just have to have a little patience with them."

Kai snatched his hand away, glaring at Ray. Ray on the other hand, flinched and a look of worry passed over his eyes.

"Ray, how long have we been together?"

"A year… almost."

Kai nodded his head, his anger getting the better of him. His heartbeat rose in his chest, his cheeks flushing with rage.

"You're like a leech!"

Ray's eyes widened, his cheeks reddening. "Kai, what do you-"

"You're always on top of me, you're always near me… what do you think I am? Some sort of puppy that needs to be with its master all the time and looked after?"

"Kai I didn't-"

"All this time I've been putting up with you and your snuggling and cuddling and…" he groaned louder now, shaking his head. "You're not even tough in any way!"

"I am too!"

"You're a poor excuse for a man that's what you are!"

"You take that back!"

"You're a leech! You're always with me! I need my own space! I can't handle you and them! You're annoying!"

Ray's eyes turned to hurt when he said this, Ray pursing his lips together. His hand came up to rub his arm as he turned his head away, too hurt to speak.

"You don't leave me alone, you always bring me gifts, you're overbearing! Enough already!" his rage turned to his blade, which he had left in his pocket. Kai's fingers found the small object, growling at it.

"Imagine if we didn't have any of these? We wouldn't have met! Maybe then I would have a boyfriend who wasn't a whiny little bitch!"

Ray's body shook at the words, a gasp escaping his lips. With a thrust Kai chucked the blade at the wall, smashing the sensitive metal into a million pieces. Ray raced over to the pieces and picked them up one by one, making a pile in his hand.

Growling and going over to him, Kai whacked the pieces out of his hand, sending them flying all over the room. Ray flinched at his movements, turning to him almost in fear.

"If it wasn't for these, we never would have met! I wouldn't have to deal with you, or Tyson, or that crybaby Max!"

Kai paused in his words, standing up and slamming his fist into the wall. He had dealt with them for years now and enough was enough. His anger could not be contained any longer as the rage built up in his chest finally exploded.

"I wish Beyblades never existed!"

Ray stepped back, swallowing hard and squeaking. "You don't really mean that… do you?"

With a glare at Ray, Kai stormed into the living room and threw off his clothes, getting into his pajamas. Ray followed after him softly, trying to talk some sense into him.

"Kai you don't really mean that, I know you don't, and I-"

"We're done."

Ray stopped in his tracks, his hand on the door to the living room and his foot halfway inside.

"What?"

"We're done Ray."

The boy gazed at the other boy who lay on the ground, already wrapped in sheets that covered his head.

"I don't want to have to repeat myself. We're done Ray."

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Ray's foot stepped back out of the room, his hands coming down to his sides hopelessly. A cry erupted from his chest.

Kai's anger took control of him and blocked out Ray's sniffling, enabling him to close his eyes to rest. He heard Ray exit the room and close the door behind him, Tyson's voice rising above Ray's sobs.

Kai could hear nothing but the motion of feet moving across wood as his friends tried to console Ray, Kai listening to Tyson's words of comfort from the warmth of his bed.

He pursed his lips, rethinking his words and almost regretting saying them in the first place. With a sigh, Kai let the darkness of sleep take his mind, his hand absently feeling for a body next to him that was not there.


	4. A Hated Man

"And that's all you remember?"

"Yeah… after that I woke up here… and I don't know where I am."

The Professor swallowed, adjusting his collar. Kai gazed back at him, hoping for some sort of an answer to his dilemma. He knew that Kenny would be the reasonable one, the one who could figure anything out. If anybody knew how to help Kai, Kenny would be that person.

"Your memories are from a different lineage… that's all I can tell you."

"Lineage?"

"Yes. It seems as if your memories come from somewhere else… like in science fiction movies."

"What?"

Picking up a phone from his pocket, Kenny dialed a few numbers and put the machine to his ear. Kai watched him curiously, seeing the little machine in Kenny's hands. He waited in silence as Kenny spoke into the phone, telling the person on the other end of the line numerous dictations of numbers and figures that Kai couldn't understand.

"Give him to me for the day, cancel all of his meetings. The Boss can't function at this point in time."

After a few seconds Kenny hung up and sighed, shaking his head. Kai tapped his fingers on the bed, waiting for an answer.

"You need to come with me."

Getting up with Kenny, Kai walked over to the door and out into the long hallway that led down to an elevator. The hallway was gold and a red carpet lined the floor. His leather shoes softly padded down the hallway as he followed Kenny towards the elevator, passing by numerous people.

"Good morning Mr. Hiwatari."

"Good morning Sir."

"Good morning Sir."

Everyone who passed by him greeted him, regarding him as their superior. He was the boss and owner of this company, of this establishment that drilled in the ocean to get oil for the world. Kai was at the top of the social hierarchy, someone who could not be touched. Even if he were to accept this new life of his, he would never get used to having so many people treat him as a king of sorts.

A trip down the elevator and into a laboratory proved to Kai that this world came equipped with technology that was far beyond his understanding. A look to his right confirmed the suspicion of hidden cameras, as his eyes picked up a small black object moving back and forth when he did. Kai pursed his lips.

"Are there cameras everywhere?" he asked.

"Of course there are, you installed them yourself."

Kenny was ahead of him a bit, greeting a woman behind a white desk who hid herself as soon as Kai came around to do the same. She looked at him with both rage and fear, a chill running down Kai's spine.

_There's something about the people here… that doesn't seem right. _

The whirrs and clicks of the machinery around drew Kai's attention towards a rather imposing looking object that sat in the middle of the next room over. When he first entered, he stepped into a large white room with the woman to his left. A field of glass lined the wall in front of him, leading to the room that held the strange looking machine. Kai rubbed his arm absent mindedly.

"Come with me Sir."

Kenny's voice shook Kai out of his momentary trance and slowly his feet led to him to the strange machine that was inside of the room with the glass. He gazed at the object in fear, hoping that he didn't have to go inside.

"Sir, I'm going to open the door to his machine here, and if I can get you to just go inside for a few minutes I'm sure we'll be able to find out exactly what is wrong with you."

_Figures. _

Stepping lightly into the machine, Kai felt the door slide behind him as Kenny retreated behind the desk with the woman. There was a glass window for Kai to see outside of the machine, but even with that the machine scared him out of his wits. What was going to happen inside of here?

"Kenny… what are you going to do?"

The scientist fixed his glasses a bit, fingering a few numbers into the keypad on the desk. His arms moved quickly to file some papers inside of the desk and even as he did that he replied to Kai.

"We are going to do a series of diagnostics on you… to see if you are who you say you really are."

"W-What?" Kai cried, beginning to sweat. He had never been questioned about who he was before, and he wasn't about to answer questions he didn't know anything about.

"H-Hang on a second, don't I get a say in this?"

"If you're the Kai Hiwatari we all know, why were you so confused this morning?"

"I told you what happened! You of all people should know the boundaries of alternative time lines and all that other crap!" Kai began to pound his fists on the machine door, panic setting in.

"Let me out of here! I know who I am! I don't know what I'm doing here though!"

"Sir, if you want to live, I suggest you comply with our rules, lest I use the machine's other function."

Kai's body slowed, the fear settling down into the pit of his stomach and his throat closing with panic. He knew what Kenny would do with this machine, and the thought was not pleasant. He would go and torture Kai until Kai confessed that he was not Kai, but some other person who impersonated Kai.

After a few more moments of silence, the machine whirred and moaned to life, Kai turning his head to see Kenny pull something from behind the desk with exaggerated motions.

"This won't hurt a bit Sir; I just need you to remain still."

"Remain still? The hell do you think I-"

Kai's piercing scream nearly blew out his own eardrums, the feeling of an electrical shock running up and down his veins like wildfire. His fingers began to go numb as his body fired up with the sensation of both burning and exploding. Kai felt like he was on fire, his hair standing on end and his mouth open in the loudest scream he had ever produced in his entire life.

The electricity soon died down, and Kai crumpled to the ground clutching his body. He shook hard, his heart beating a mile a minute and his tongue numb. A voice from the outside lulled in his ears.

"The test results have come back… it seems you are who you say you are."

Kai growled silently, struggling to stand back up. "What was your first clue?"

The machine door opened and as Kai stepped out he felt himself fall over, a few nurses grabbing him hastily and placing him down upon a chair that stood in the corner of the room. A glass of water was handed to him and as Kai sipped he noticed that the nurses would not make eye contact with him.

His grey eyes narrowed a bit, but kept his thoughts to himself as he swallowed the last of the water, placing the cup down upon a desk that happened to sit next to the chair. Everything was so different in this dimension.

"Sir, I am so sorry that we had to run those tests on you… you just seemed to so confused."

Kai turned to see his friend walk slowly towards him, a red blush of embarrassment crossing his cheeks. The Professor stood with his clipboard at hand and adjusted his glasses again; a sign of nervousness.

"I-I wasn't sure if it was you or not Sir, I needed to know if you were who you said you were… and if your memories were right or not."

"What did you do to me?"

"There's an encoding on the back of your neck Sir, a barcode that reads your very DNA and memory strip."

"A what?"

Kai felt the back of his neck, searching for any foreign object that might have been placed there. Of course he felt nothing, but his suspicion did not die with Kenny's words. This alternative time line seemed to be advanced in everything Kai knew.

"The barcode is a tattoo Sir, encrypted with your own DNA. That code is written when you are born, and it stays with you ever since."

"You read my memories?" Kai exclaimed, nearly toppling over himself in exasperation. "That's an invasion of privacy!"

"We all have one. It's a job requirement."

"A job requirement?" Kai felt the back of his neck once again, and to his dismay actually felt a little burning where his code was. He grimaced, and pulled his hand back, eager to know what to do next.

"What now? What do I do now Kenny?"

The Professor looked at him with remorse and sat down next to him, pulling up a chair. Kenny leaned in and sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"You are Kai Hiwatari, the most powerful man in the entire city. You have the right to do whatever you want."

"Whatever I want?"

"Yes, didn't you look at your computer this morning?"

"I couldn't even count the zeroes in my back account."

"Exactly!" Kenny nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "You need to go out and regain some of those memories that this Kai had, in order to fill his place."

Kai blinked; his face blank. Kenny stared back at him and finally tilted his head. "You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

"Not a chance."

The Professor sighed, standing up once again. "Sir, if you'll just follow me back to your room, I can assign you an assistant for the day, just to get you back on your feet."

"Alright… but no more reading my memories or any of that crap!"

"You have my word."

* * *

Back in his room, Kai managed to flop down upon his bed and relax for a few minutes. He was eager to see how he was going to spend his money, and he was eager to see what his new life was like. He was the owner of an oil company, a man of power and wealth. He had all the time in the world, and how would he spend every second?

A knock at the door caused him to sit up and usher in his assistant. A familiar red haired male opened and closed the door, eyeing him with fear.

"S-Sir… I'm sorry about this morning... I wasn't sure it was really you…"

"Tala, it's alright." Kai said; a soft smile upon his face. "I know I seemed a little off this morning, but I'm sure Kenny showed you the details of my examination?"

Tala stood back for a second, his face turning red for a second. He clicked his tongue, looking away from his boss.

"You never called me by my name Mr. Hiwatari."

"Really?"

"Never. You didn't even remember my name."

"Oh." Kai paused, looking around the room for something to focus on. Finding nothing in his midst, Kai cleared his throat and stood up, gazing at Tala.

"I'll call you Tala… because I'm used to doing that."

"C-Calling me by my name?"

"Yes."

The man seemed to light up for a second with hope, but the hope faded as he shifted his feet back and forth hesitantly.

"B-But… M-Mr. Hiwatari, I can't address you as-"

"I give you permission to address me as Kai. It's alright. I'm used to that anyways."

Tala opened and closed his mouth twice, but no words came out. He stared at his boss as Kai rummaged through his closet to find a different outfit to wear. Finding a white tank top with a blue camisole to cover him, Kai slipped on a pair of jeans and an old pair of converse, turning back to Tala.

"We're going out. Are you going to go like that?"

Tala stared at him incredulously, speaking quickly. "S-Sir! You can't go out like that! You've never dressed down like that!"

"Well Tala this is me from another dimension, get used to it."

The man stared as his boss headed for the door, car keys in hand and an eager smile upon his face.

"C'mon, let's have some fun."

* * *

There were no trees in sight, and the city was alive with the bustling of people. There were noises everywhere, various signs advertising for business and food. The sky was lined with nothing but beautiful birds that sailed up and down through the city trying to find a place to make their nests.

The sun beat down upon him as he drove, Tala by his side and fiddling around with a tablet he had carried with him. Kai glanced at him a few times, seeing Tala in his regular street clothes.

He was dressed in a pair of jeans as well, although his top was nothing more than an orange and white overcoat with a blue shirt underneath. He preferred to keep his hair arranged carefully and precisely, in case a business man was met along the way. Kai decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, tell me Tala, how long have you been working for me?"

"For as long as you've founded the company Sir."

Kai nodded, looking around at the people who stared back at his Jaguar as he pulled into a parking spot to a local sushi shop. Setting the car in park, Kai stepped out and closed the door, watching as Tala followed him.

"I'm famished, let's go."

* * *

Holding the menu before him, Kai read over the menu, eager to try everything on the food list. Tala was not having as much fun as Kai was however, as he kept fiddling with his tablet and pressing buttons on the hearing device that hung from his ear. Kai stared at him a few times, hearing the clink and clank of cups and plates in the background.

"Tala, why don't you take a break from all that?"

The man gazed back at him, a momentary look of anger passing through his eyes for a second. Kai caught on, but did not say anything.

"Because Sir… I am the one who takes care of all your appointments."

Kai tilted his head, drinking some of his water and clearing his throat. "You're the one who takes care of my scheduling?"

"Yes, Sir." Tala said through clenched teeth. "I am the one who schedules everything for you, I am the one who organizes your meetings and keeps the business running smoothly."

Kai shrunk back a little, feeling a sense of threat emanating from his 'friend'. Tala's face suddenly changed expression, turning blank and stone.

"I-I'm sorry Sir…"

The man at the other side of the table was about to comment when a waiter dressed in a traditional Japanese garb approached them, her hands filled with tea cups and a tea pot. As she poured them lotus flower tea, she gazed over at Kai and asked him what he wanted to eat.

"I'll take the Rainbow Roll and the Tempura roll, with a side of wasabi."

"Yes Sir, and for you Sir?" she asked, turning to Tala. The man swallowed hard, putting his menu down softly.

"California Roll…"

Taking the menus back into the kitchen and disappearing from sight, the waitress accepted his order with ease. Kai however was not so easily swayed.

_Coming from a company that makes billions of dollars… shouldn't he treat himself more? Doesn't his paycheck go a long way? _

"Tala… you didn't want anything else?"

The man shook his head, gazing away from his boss. "No, Sir. I'm fine."

Kai pursed his lips, his eyebrows furrowing. "Tala, if there's something on your mind, you can tell me."

Tala glared back at him hotly, his voice cold. "Since when did you start caring about your employees?"

Kai suddenly became confused, eyeing Tala.

"What?"

"Since when did you start calling me 'Tala', and the Professor 'Kenny'? You never spoke a word outside of business to me! Ever! You were never this friendly!"

Kai stared back at the man who sat in front of him, his eyes burning with rage and fury. "You never asked how I was, you never asked anything about me, it was always 'I need this done, I need that done', you never even bothered to remember my name!"

Tala finished his rampage, drinking his water furiously and nearly slamming the glass down upon the table. Kai's eyes lowered, his ears perking at the sound of the waitress coming back to serve them.

"Here are your rolls sirs, do enjoy."

"Thank you." Tala said, gazing at his California roll. He only broke his chopsticks when he heard a voice from the other end of the table speak softly to the waitress.

"Let me get two other rainbow rolls, and a Unagi roll too."

The waitress nodded, scribbling down the note in her pad and rushing off to get the food. Tala pursed his lips, but ate his food quietly. Kai could feel the rage and anger burning inside of Tala's body, but he paid no attention to that. He did not touch his rolls.

Tala snorted heavily, pointing at Kai's food.

"Too cheap for you?"

The waitress came back with the rolls, setting them down in front of Kai. The man shook his head, pushing the waitress's hand away. "Those aren't for me."

She looked at him curiously, but complied with his rules and set the rolls down in front of Tala, who stared up at her in awe.

"I-I can't pay for this."

"The bill's on me." Kai interrupted, placing his hand on his credit card and shoving it into the waitress's face. The woman took the card and walked away hastily, not bothering to look back at the astonished Tala, whose mouth was still wide open with amazement.

"M-Mr. Hiwatari… is that coming-"

"From my pocket? Yes."

"B-But… you never-"

"I know. Don't argue. Eat."

The man gazed down at his food and immediately his eyes welled with tears, Kai watching in silence as Tala grabbed the eel and let it slide down his throat, his tears choking him. The two men ate in silence, Tala having to grab his napkin and wipe his eyes to hide his appreciation from Kai, who pretended not to notice.

After a few minutes, Tala spoke again, his voice groggy.

"You're a hated man, Sir."

His chopsticks stopped in midair, his gaze turning to Tala in suspicion. The man held his eyes down to his last rainbow roll, a cold sweat forming on his brow. Kai replied softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone… everyone at the company… they all hate you Sir. And for good reason too. They all have a reason to hate you…"

Kai set down his chopsticks, his hunger suddenly gone from his stomach. He stared at Tala for a few more seconds, feeling something crawl up his back. He was shivering out of fear. A sip of his water calmed him down only a little as Tala spoke more, his eyes now meeting Kai's.

"You're a hated man, you treat everyone like crap, you don't care for anyone but yourself, and your employees both fear and respect you."

Kai bit his lip, thinking about all the fake smiles and anger filled eyes he had seen in the past few hours. The truth was in the pudding, everyone at his company hated him for one reason or another.

The man was about to ask what he had done when the fish tank behind them exploded, sending a rain of glass tearing down upon them. Kai couldn't recall much about his own reaction, but felt a hand grab for him and pull him forwards away from the shattering glass. Bullets rung through the air, Kai's ears ringing with the high pitch sound.

"We have to move, Sir! Go!"

His feet were weak as Tala pulled Kai up and ran for the door, Kai following behind him only barely. More shots rang through the air and out of the corner of his dazed eyes Kai could see Tala pull out a gun of his own, shooting at whoever was shooting at them. The red of the carpet and the gold of the walls melted into one huge haze as Kai exited through the door, being shoved into the car and Tala taking the wheel.

He could feel the car skidding to a start and rushing off, the angry shouts of men and women echoing in his ears as Kai sat back and rubbed his head. His lips were trembling, his body shaking. His eyes gazed back at Tala, who was speeding through traffic like nobody's business.

"What the hell was that?"

"Oh that?" Tala asked almost too calmly. "Your nine thirty appointment. Apparently they didn't take too well to you cancelling on them."


	5. Imagery

A breath of air was taken into his lungs and Kai sat back, wiping the nervous sweat off his brow. Tala was still driving the car rather hastily, making a path through a myriad of cars that drove out of their way in the street.

"Tell me again… what the hell that was." Kai breathed out, leaning his seat back a bit and feeling the car finally slow down for what seemed like an eternity of crazy driving. Having Tala at the wheel at first put Kai's full trust that he would be safe, now he was not so sure.

"Your nine thirty. You cancelled on them today… remember? This morning?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I haven't been the 'Kai' you know."

"True…" Tala eased on the gas and came to a stop at a red light, the first time he had done so since he was in the car. Putting his hand upon the manual controls and shifted into park mode, letting the car slide into brake easily.

"Mr. Hiwatari… you truly don't remember anything…. Do you?"

"What part of 'I'm not even from this universe' don't you understand?" Kai turned his head, his hand upon his forehead and his eyes closing for a moment.

"Why were those men after me? What do they want?"

Tala pressed on the gas again after shifting gears, the car moving slowly to the rhythm of traffic and allowing them some free time to discuss things. The sun in the sky glared down at them through the glass, making Kai squint his eyes before leaning back more and taking comfort in the little bit of cushion he had in the car.

"Sir, they were there for the money. You owe them."

"For what?"

"For exterminating those competitors."

"Exterminating?" Kai sat up now, his head throbbing with all the new information. Gazing at Tala through the corner of his eye he sighed and rubbed his eyes, wanting nothing more than to go back to his room and sleep.

"Competitors?"

* * *

The last thing he heard before he the elevator closed was the beep of the car and the throbbing of an imposing headache. The elevator seemed extremely stuffy as they waited for the machine to pull them up flights and flights of employees that Kai knew hated him onto the floor that housed his entire floor suite. Feeling Tala's eyes upon him, Kai immediately stepped off the elevator and flopped onto his bed, which happened to be neatly made. He remembered leaving the sheets undone that morning.

"You have a maid." Tala replied to an unspoken question, seeing Kai's eyes. The man took a seat next to Kai, his elbows upon his knees and a hand running through his red hair.

"You've always had a maid Sir. She comes in every day after you go to your normal meetings and fixes the room for you."

"How much do I tip her?"

"Tip?"

Kai grunted and shook his head, remembering where he was. "That's right. Here I'm apparently a wealthy ass hole. Remind me again why I'm here?"

Tala shrugged his shoulders, gazing at the afternoon sun. A few birds passed overhead, and as Kai heard the crows caw he realized that nearly a day had passed since he had gotten to this new time. How did he get here?

The two of them sat on the bed, their minds locked in a transposition of thoughts. Kai was new here… he was out of place. The 'Kai' that was him wasn't really him because he knew himself, he knew who he was. He knew that he was 'Kai Hiwatari', teenager and nowhere near the business man that everyone in this supposed universe thought him to be. He was trapped in this time.

Time passed slowly between them before Kai turned to Tala, the question forming easily on his lips. His breath came out slowly, his mind reeling.

"Where… where are the people that I know? From my time?"

Once again, Tala shrugged his shoulders, finally turning off the beeper he had in his pocket. Reaching into his other pocket he pulled out a notepad and pen, scribbling something down upon the paper.

"I have no idea where the people are from your time… but for right now my main concern is the loss in your oil stocks. Do you realize how much financial crisis you're going to be in if these people find you?"

"The people who were back at the restaurant?"

The man shook his head, standing up and going towards Kai's desk. With a single stroke he swiped all of Kai's possessions off the desk and onto the floor, putting a finger to the air against a green line that appeared in thin air. Waving a few fingers around a computer screen appeared, floating on top of the desk.

_I have a floating computer screen? This universe… has everything. _

"What you see in front of you Sir," Tala explained, turning around the computer screen and pin pointing a floating dot. The dot blinked and traveled back and forth on the screen, creating a line between two invisible points that Kai could not see.

"Are your record stocks. Now, the people who were in the restaurant this morning wanted this." Another screen appeared, showing a massive amount of gold stacked upon a table in a dim lit room. Kai's eyes wandered towards the flickering lights, and the men standing behind the gold with guns in their hands.

"Those men wanted your gold. Why? Because you agreed to buy their arsenal off of them."

"Their… arsenal?" murmured Kai weakly, feeling a cold sweat run down his back. He had no idea that his company would even need any machinery of that sort.

"Yes, weaponry and mass nuclear devices were in storage overseas on the Pacific for some time before the transaction was made between the two of you to have the cargo shipped here to your company via private submarine."

Another screen appeared and lit up the first one, blocking out the gold. Kai's eyes were growing weary of looking at the dark green screen, but he knew that in order to somewhat maintain his identity as this supposed 'super celebrity' that he was, he had to get all the information from Tala.

"Several days ago you signed a contract stating you were presenting them with forty million in bonds today at exactly nine thirty this morning. You entered and ignored the two men sitting in the corner of the room with a cup of sake at their table."

"There were two men sitting over there?"

"The point is, Sir," Tala replied, trying to remain calm with his ever thinning patience, "You have bonds and stocks with other people across seas that are more than willing to kill you if they ever get the chance."

Kai swallowed hard, feeling the lump in his throat not really going down with his saliva. People were after him, people hated him, and he was a wanted man across the entire world. The only reason he was alive was because of all the deals he made with those who invested in his company.

The computer screens flickered away, leaving Kai staring into Tala's eyes. Tala's fingers moved across the air to close the floating computer screen and rested upon the desk. The clock ticked quietly on the wall above their heads, Kai rolling over all the information presented to him. How was he to know all this?

"What'm… What'm I supposed to do? I can't… do I have men? Do I have bodyguards that at least protect me?"

"You give them an average of one hundred thousand an hour."

"At least I have that…" Kai sunk into his hands, shaking his head back and forth. He really needed more sleep. The stress of the day was getting to him, and he knew that he had more on his hands than he knew what do to with.

The clouds in the sky passed softly, shadowing Kai's eyes with their faint bodies. Colors of red and orange were beginning to paint the sky, and as Kai flopped down upon his bed again he realized Tala had taken a seat at his desk, gazing at him evenly.

"Tala, go home. Get some rest… I'll call you if I need you."

"Sir, I'm not supposed to go home until much later."

"Just go home. I want to be left alone." Getting up hastily and scribbling a note down upon a piece of paper that didn't fly off his desk Kai thrust the paper into Tala's hand before he could say a word.

"Just take the paper and go home. That's your early leave note, written in the teacher's handwriting."

Tala eyed Kai for a moment before a soft smile crossed his face, his hand slipping the note into his coat pocket. Standing up and walking towards the door, Tala turned his heel for a moment, speaking over his shoulder.

"I like this boss better."


	6. Tyson

The clock on the wall ticked, echoing through his skull and exploding his ear drums. He tried to turn away from the sound, but the more he fussed in his bed, he found the sound got louder. This is what it was like to be alone.

_Not all bad… at least I don't have that sniveling Ray dripping down my throat. _

Thinking back to his previous friends, from the other universe, Kai began to wonder whether or not he would ever see them again. He had not once thought of trying to find them in this universe, and he did not find any reason to.

They were the cause of his stress, they were the reason why he made his secret wish in the first place, and they were gone now. He had the world to himself, with new friends and people to come to know.

_Tala… he's so different from the Tala I knew… and so is Kenny. _

The darkness enveloped him as he ruffled his sheets more, tossing and turning in his bed as the night dragged on. He had gone to bed only three hours ago, but he still found himself wide awake with thoughts of his previous friends and their whereabouts.

_As long as I'm here though… I might as well make the best of it… I mean… I have a wealth that tops over ten billion, what the hell is better than that? _

He had his space, he had his new life. Things were going to get interesting.

* * *

"What did you plan on doing today?"

"The day is almost over, and I don't plan on repeating what I did this morning." He heard a chuckle over the phone, Kai's cheeks reddening as his memory jogged. That morning when he got up Kai decided to investigate the east side of town, wondering where his firms and apparently 'arsenal' came from. Upon discovering the location of his new found weapons building Kai also discovered that his building was heavily guarded by rough and tough men who didn't find his lack of identification amusing.

Rubbing his sore back and nursing a few wounds, Kai sighed. "I was planning on going all out tonight… you know… find me someplace that perks my interest."

"Hookers?"

"Bring on the hookers."

* * *

Kai had never been one to pass up a chance to get laid, but in reality he had never given his virginity to anyone. All of that was to be saved for someone he was going to marry, and possibly love forever. In the other universe, Ray was the one who tied him down and forced him to be happy. No more would Kai have to suffer through the agony of having a man cling to his arm protectively while walking through the streets.

His leather boots clanked against the sidewalk as he adjusted his black leather jacket, a grateful cigarette in his mouth. Kai loved his cigs, and Ray didn't. Ray would always force him to put them away, or not even take one. He had been off the stuff for months.

This felt beyond good.

He licked his lips and flicked his cig onto the street, smushing the embers with his foot and striding into a dark lit alley, where his ears led him to pounding bass drums and neon purple lights. A shadowy figure to his left caught his attention.

Kai stopped in mid step, turning his heel at the person.

"You're late."

The red haired man breathed in heavily, fixing his jacket. "S-Sorry Sir… I had a few loose ends to tie up for you."

"You mean more people are trying to kill me?"

"Y-Yes…"

Kai shrugged, walking towards the booming music and flipping out his license from his pocket. His eyes traced the doorway of the club, the music in the room behind the door blasting and causing the door to shake. Tala trailed behind him.

The dark night was only illuminated by the moon above them, a few passing clouds causing utter and scary darkness, though Kai was not at all moved by this. He focused upon one thing and one thing only:

Those glorious breasts.

The man behind the door spoke harshly to Kai, eyeing him through dark sunglasses.

"What's your business?"

Knowing his new status in his world, Kai flashed his license to the man, the door instantly opening and Kai stepping inside. Tala was about to follow in when the man nearly slammed the door back in his face. Kai however, caught the door before Tala was pummeled.

"He's with me."

The music boomed in their ears, sweat and weed smelled in the air, and the scent of alcohol reeked everywhere. Kai twitched his nose, looking about him for any sign of a good deal. Tala followed close behind him, grabbing a drink from a nearby waiter.

"Relax." Kai murmured, eyeing the nervous Tala. "This is vacation time. It's the weekend remember?"

Tala swallowed, feeling someone touch his butt from behind.

"I believe I just got violated."

"That's the least of your problems here."

The shocked Tala gasped, Kai taking a drink from a passing waiter and gulping the sweet down. He smiled and turned to Tala again, who now happened to have two ladies upon him, both big breasted and wearing nothing but corsets. Kai chuckled, nodding his head.

"See you at midnight!"

Tala's frightened voice was drowned out by the pounding music, and soon, Kai found himself in the presence of a party floor. The DJ was up upon a stage, his headphones blocking his ears and his hands making love to the disks that produced music that made Kai's body want to move and grind. Looking up above him Kai spied a few girls in cages, chains hanging from their necks and their bodies sliming across a pole that happened to be placed inside a few of the cages. They licked and twirled, their bodies mystifying Kai until a sudden push jerked him out of his sick fantasies.

Someone had shoved him from behind, urging him to join the forming dance pit. A few people lay low around the perimeter of the dance floor, minding their own business and making small talk with other people who were looking to mingle more than get involved.

Kai scanned the area, the heads of both men and women striking his interest until he felt a little hand slide up and down his crotch area, making him smile mischievously while turning his head.

"You're rather forward." He stated.

"You're rather hot." She purred, sliding her hand up towards his chest and pushing him towards the dance floor. "C'mon big boy, are business men too uptight to party a little?"

"Not this one." His legs carried him over the dance floor, the girl who preyed on him curling her fingers around his wrist and dragging him towards the center of the floor, where her breasts were the main attention of his eyes.

"Aren't we a little vixen?" he flirted, getting closer to her as his body moved in rhythm to the music. In return, she moved closer to him, her breasts nearly up against his chest, Kai knowing the hot feeling of sex running through his veins. He had to admit he was a little wasted at this time, knowing that girls were not really his style but willing to try the cave anyways.

The girl seemed to be only half his age, sixteen at best, and yet Kai could find nothing logically wrong with screwing a girl he had just met for fifteen seconds. He licked his lips in anticipation, his mind beginning to wander off in different directions.

_If this is the 'Kai' everyone is talking about that's me… wouldn't 'he' want me to be happy? Because I'm him… and he's me… _

Sliding his hand around her waist and bringing her closer to him, he could smell her potent perfume on her neck, his mouth drawing dangerously close to her neck as he smiled.

"Back the fuck off!"

A sudden burst in the room forced Kai to look up, curious and quite surprised at such a loud outburst that he heard the voice over the speakers in the club. The girl who was with him looked up as well, both of them turning their heads to see a disheveled man holding a bottle of liquor in one hand and restraining a man with his other hand.

"Who the fuck do you think you are man? Telling me I'm too… too… too drunk to go clubbing! This is a free country!"

His voice slurred and the scent of alcohol reeked from his clothes. The crowd had dispersed and formed a circle around the drunk and the other man who was trying to calm him down.

"Sir, you're much too drunk to be in here. We told you to beat it last time didn't we?"

"Well fuck you guys! I can go wherever the hell I want!"

"Who let this guy in?"

The bodies around him began to move, their unconscious stimulation from the music and sweat of the club making them react in a negative fashion. Kai felt the man next to him shove forward, angry shouts being heard throughout the club.

"Kick him out!"

"Beat his ass!"

"Pussy!"

The bodies raged and raged, Kai quickly realizing even in his drunken state that things were going to get a lot more dangerous. His hand felt for the girl who was dancing with him, grasping nothing but air when he realized that she was gone.

As soon as he began to shove his way through the massive crowd of people, the energy took a turn and skyrocketed. The sweat and heat Kai felt as he was pushed around made him feel like a sardine in an air tight can. People were on top of him, next to him, and even trying to trample him in an effort to get a piece of the drunken man who seemed to be holding his own in the center of the messed up crowd.

Kai's ears were on the verge of exploding as the shouts reigned louder, the voices and cries of hatred screaming through the air and piercing the veil of Kai's head. Clamping one hand over his right ear and shoving through people with his left hand as much he could Kai finally made his way to the wall, where he saw an exhausted Tala sitting on the floor.

"Tala?"

The man was unconscious to say the least, his face covered in bruises and his right eye swelling like a balloon. There were lipstick marks all over his body, and his clothes had seen better days.

Leaning down and picking him up, Kai thrust his way through the wall stick people and found his way towards the exit. The club rocked and rolled behind them, the silence of the night and the cool breeze a welcome sight for the heated man. Staggering to put Tala down on the pavement, Kai took a water bottle he stole from a counter and opened it, pouring water upon the unconscious Tala's face.

The man gurgled a bit and opened his eyes, Kai sighing in relief as he helped Tala sit up. The two of them locked eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"What happened?"

"You got shit faced."

"Oh… this isn't going on my record is it?"

"No."

Kai looked around, hearing the sounds of angered voices coming closer to them. Pushing Tala off to the side of the building, Kai rested beside him as the door they came out of swung open harshly. A man flew from the building, the bottle in his hand shattering and his body laying a few feet away from them in a sprawled position. Kai breathed out, the heat from his body seeping out into the cold night air and making him seem like a living sauna. He gazed at the drunken man intently, something about the man striking him as familiar.

The man got up and dusted himself off, mumbling that he was going to find a way back in to get more booze. Spitting on the street and adjusting the baseball cap over his head, the man turned around, his brown eyes locking with Kai's.

"The hell you want pretty boy?"

_That voice… that sounds… _

Slowly Kai stood on his feet, his body wavering a little from exhaustion but not weak enough to fall back down. He stood silently, gazing at the man who stared back at him with an animalistic look in his eye. Kai breathed out again, his body shuddering at the realization of which it was who stared back at him.

"Sir?"

Tala's voice dulled in Kai's ears as the man up righted himself to a proper standing position and walking hesitantly towards the drunk, who cocked his head and smiled almost mischievously.

"You wanna dance pretty boy?"

Kai swallowed, his memories flooding him like an electrical current and making his body sweat. Tala spoke to him again, this time Kai catching what he said.

"Sir, you shouldn't go near him, he's an ingrate."

At this Kai stopped, turning his head a little to catch Tala's warning gaze.

"He's a drunk and a jail man Sir." Tala added, standing up to dust himself off and fix his clothes. "I've seen him before, loitering around your company building. He's no more than a waste of cells."

"Fuck off!" the drunk shouted back, his gloved hand coming up in a fist. "I'll make you eat those words!"

Without warning Kai ran to the drunk man, speaking quickly.

"Tyson?"

The man's brow furrowed; a strange look in his eye.

"How'd you know my name?"

Kai swallowed again, this time harder. He knew this couldn't be the Tyson that he knew, but yet when he said his name, the man responded.

_Could this be… the same Tyson? It can't be… he's too… too out there. Tyson was always out there… but he could never… _

"Tyson… is that really you?" his voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes wide as Kai circled around him now, taking in every detail. The overcoat Tyson wore was brown and haggard looking, his pants torn and cut in a few places with the smell of cat urine seeping from the pores. Kai continued to breathe in and out as easily as he can, trying to calm his nerves. Tyson spit again on the ground, eyeing him.

"Who the hell are you? Some business stuck up who got in a little over his head?"

"Tyson… Tyson it's me! It's Kai!"

Tyson tilted his head sideways, blinking.

"Kai who? I don't know any Kai."

Thinking for a moment before responding, Tyson clicked his fingers. "Oh yeah! I remember!"

Kai's face lit up, hope resonating in his chest.

"You're that guy who owns all the oil companies and shit! Yeah, I saw you on TV last week! Yeah man you rip people off real good."

"W-What?" Kai answered weakly, feeling his knees buckle. "Tyson…"

"You high and mighty types make me sick." He spat on the ground again, a dirty shoe coming up to kick away some dirt off the ground. "Goin' around spendin' money like you ain't got a care in the world! But there are some of us who gotta work hard and actually have a job for a livin! That's why…" his voice suddenly softened, his eyes returning to the Tyson eyes that Kai knew so well.

"That's why Hillary…" Tyson shook his head, grabbing Kai by the collar. "You piss me off you know that? You really piss me off! You fucking business men and your poor excuses for 'caring for the people' and shit!"

"Tyson snap out of it it's me! It's Kai!" Kai struggled to get Tyson off him, but the man proved to have too strong a grip on him. "Don't you recognize me? We hung out together! We Beybladed together!"

Tyson smacked his lips and smirked at Kai, his eyes narrowing. "You got some fucked up shit goin' on in your head you know that? The hell's a blade what's it? I don't know you man, I don't know anything about you! And you don't know anything about me!"

"You hated going to school, you always forgot your books and Kenny was your best friend!"

"Friend? You wanna talk about friends?" the angry Tyson threw Kai down upon the ground, stomping on his back with a mud coated shoe. "The only friend I ever had was a sad little boy lookin' in the mirror at home while his mom screwed every Tom, Dick and Harry she ever met!"

Kai coughed hard when Tyson let his shoe up, Tala coming to his side.

"Don't engage him Sir! He's just trying to get inside your head!"

Feeling strong arms help him to his feet, Kai only moved his eyes upwards when a fist flew at him, sending him sprawling back onto the hard concrete.

"You fucking bastard! You think you got it all huh? Your money and your servants, well… screw you!"

The wet pavement was beginning to make his face cold, Kai struggling to get to his feet after such a hard blow to the cheek. Tala was by his side, trying to protect him from further damage.

"Sir, are you alright?"

Touching his cheek gently with his fingertips, Kai pulled back, feeling the pain resonate in his bones. He breathed out hard, coughing up a bit of blood and snickering at the same time.

"You always had a good right hook…"

Turning around to see the angry man, Kai stood back up with Tala's help, wiping the blood off his mouth.

"You don't remember anything… do you? Nothing… nothing comes to your mind."

Tyson lunged at him, throwing him on the ground again and wrestling to bash his head in. Tala's arms wrapped around Tyson, dragging him off Kai who remained still as the other two struggled.

"Tyson… Tyson…" Tala wrestled with Tyson on the ground, baiting time for Kai to recover and get moving. His body sat up, his breathing harsh and staggered.

"You wanted… you wanted to be the top… the one thing… that no one could… ever beat… you were so happy back then…"

Hearing Kai's words, Tyson stopped in his tracks, his body reeling to face Kai again.

"The hell did you just say?"

"Tyson… you had a dream… you had a dream… you wanted…" he coughed again. "You wanted… to be the light for everyone… your passion… your friendship… was all you needed… it didn't matter that there were others who would bring you down… because you always believed that…. We could rise up against anything…"

The man began to breathe harder, shaking his head.

"Stop… stop it…"

Kai nodded, clutching his arm. "You knew that… one day… you were going to be the most famous person in the world… that's what you wanted more than anything… but… you never let it get too much into your head…"

"Shut up!" Tyson grasped at his head, backing away in fear. Tala looked on, surprised and shocked at the same time. Kai's body began to waver again, his vision getting blurry. He saw Tyson lunge at him again, this time his fist making contact with his nose.

A cracking noise echoed through his head, Kai falling upon the concrete and feeling nothing but the wet pavement below him and Tala's worried hands upon him. Coughing up blood and seeing the night creep on him, Kai spoke once more, almost to no one.

"We were best friends… Tyson."

Little drops of wet soaked through his clothes and into his body as he heard the screams of agony pierce the sky, a voice filled with sorrow crying to the heavens above and cursing his very existence. Kai swallowed and coughed up more blood, his eyes slowly sliding shut as the vision of an ambulance came into his view.

* * *

His brain registered soft sheets first, and then the pillow that his head lay upon. His chest ached a bit, and his head hurt, but nothing more was noticeable. Licking his lips and forcing his eyes to open his pupils dilated as light came into his vision, the sun nearly blocking out everything he saw.

"Sir… you're awake."

Turning his head ever so slightly to the side, a familiar friendly face greeted him.

"Good morning."

Nodding his head and sitting up Kai felt the sheets fall from his bare chest, his body a little sore. He spoke quietly, his voice hoarse.

"I'm back in my room…"

Tala nodded, the man dressed in his usual business attire and making notes in his pad. He scribbled a few things down and gazed at Kai, who returned the gaze quietly.

"You said you knew that man? From where? We'd never-"

"I'm from another time… remember?" Kai answered, cutting Tala off. With a sigh, Kai eyed the birds outside who were perched upon a building edge near a nest. The sun shone brightly through the window Kai looked out of, illuminating the sky and the birds. He watched carefully as one of the birds tried to help another to fly, the wings of the bird getting caught in its own talons and ultimately leading the bird to a spiraling downfall.

Feathers were all that remained.


	7. The One Who Protects

He turned over a bit, feeling a little sick in his stomach. The curtains hadn't been opened yet, and the darkness was the only real thing that was comforting him. His digital clock on his dresser next to his bed rang softly, Kai's brain registering the sound as annoying.

_Eight AM. _

Following the ringing came a knock at the door, to which Kai turned again and ignored. He didn't feel like getting up at all. Pulling the sheets up and over his head, his ears tuned out the frantic calls from behind the door. The warmth kept him in bed.

Still in his underwear and not even dressed Kai lay in his bed, his mind a jumble of thoughts and processes he couldn't even begin to register nevertheless make sense of. All he wanted was to lay in his bed forever and forget the other day even happened. The feathers haunted him.

The knocking continued for a while and eventually Kai decided to get up and walk slowly to the door, pulling on the handle and seeing a rather distraught Tala standing in front of him.

"Sir, you've been in there all morning. Is there something wrong? Your meeting started already!"

Stepping aside and allowing Tala in, Kai didn't answer but merely strode back to his bed nonchalantly and flopped down again. Covering himself with sheets once again, Kai heard Tala's footsteps come towards him, feeling Tala sit down next to him.

"Sir… are you feeling alright?"

Once again Kai didn't reply but instead shut his eyes and tried to block out the world, his fingers tracing the sheets up and down as if they were the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

"Sir… this isn't like you. You're usually so upfront. Is everything alright?" Tala pressed, wanting an answer. Kai pursed his lips and opened his eyes again, seeing nothing but darkness all around him. The feathers ruffled in his mind.

"Is it because of that man we saw? The one you claimed to know?"

Kai's ears perked at the mention of Tyson, knowing very well that Tala was not at all stupid and knew exactly what was bothering Kai.

"What difference does it make?" Kai replied almost hotly, sitting up and uncovering himself now. They sat eye to eye, both of them locking their gaze.

"Tyson didn't know me… he didn't remember anything… nothing at all."

"Sir, you DID say you came from a different time… and a different dimension altogether. Don't you think that it would be a little strange if he DID know you? The people you remember… aren't the people you meet here… remember?"

"I don't want to remember… I don't want to think about anything right now." Kai retorted, shaking his head. "I don't get it. Why am I here? Of all places?"

"Maybe you should take the day off… just to clear your head." Tala suggested, seeing Kai crawl back down under his sheets. "You look like you need it."

"Funny how you say that and yet I'm the boss."

"I'm saying it as a…" Tala's voice trailed off, leaving Kai to sit up again and gaze at the man who held his eyes to the ground. Kai's eyes softened, sighing. He grasped his head now, a sudden headache overcoming him and making him want to lie down again.

"You're right… you can take the day off too."

"I can't. I have to run your meetings if you aren't going to."

Turning his eyes back to Tala, Kai watched as the man stood up and began to walk his way towards the door. The room seemed colder now that Tala was leaving, and Kai could see that he was going to have to think things through more if he ever wanted answers to his questions.

Tala had reached the door by now, his hand coming up and pausing before he touched the handle. Kai breathed out quietly, listening.

"There's a note on your desk."

* * *

Time passed slowly for him, the sheets becoming lighter as some of the sunlight trickled in through the windows. He opened and closed his eyes numerous times before finally gathering up the courage to actually get up again.

He lifted himself up and off of his bed, his feet dragging across his floor and towards his desk, where some times ago Tala told him there was a note. His body felt sore not from physical exhaustion, but from the mental state of being that happened to be occupying his mind. He felt as if he had been run over by a truck.

Cracking his neck and picking up the white envelope on his desk he slipped his nail under the seal and slit the opening. A small pink note fell out first before a larger white note fell out as well upon his desk. The pink note fell at his feet, the white note being the first thing he saw. His eyes traced over the letter and he cocked his head, now leaning down to pick up the pink note. His eyes narrowed as he read the inscription:

I'm waiting.

* * *

"This is it…" stepping out of his car and looking about him, he could hear the humming of cicadas and the chirp of birds who welcomed him to this serene place. Cherry blossoms bloomed magnificently over his head, a petal floating down and landing on his shoulder. The grass crunched softly under his feet as he made his way to the house that stood in front of him, beeping his car that he had left under a cherry tree.

The sun was to his back and the shadows of trees covered him as he knocked on the door, the wooden frame gently creaking under his pressure. A bird tweeted overhead and landed on a branch, its gaze fixated upon him. Kai's eyes wandered over to the creature, and as he turned his head the door suddenly opened. A woman in a pink flowered kimono greeted him.

"Mr. Hiwatari! I would not expect you on a weekend!"

Scratching the back of his head and bowing he replied to her.

"Uhm… is there… someone waiting for me here?" he asked, the women stepping aside to let him in the house. The floors were all wooden, and immediately the smell of incense and lavender filled his nose. Peering around the room he saw droves of women in half clothing prancing about, some staring at him intently, others ignoring him completely.

"The women here are the usual ones of course. Would you like to have your usual?" forgetting the woman's presence beside him Kai quickly answered.

"Y-Yes! I mean uh…" he cleared his throat, standing up straighter. "Yes." He watched as the woman jumped quickly to a table that happened to be located right next to the door, pressing a few buttons before taking out a receipt and handing the paper to him. Kai tucked the receipt in his pocket and proceeded to follow the woman to a corridor towards his right, which led to four rooms.

From each room he heard a different female voice, a different woman. The last door on the left happened to be his door, in which the woman handed him a key. Kai gazed at her curiously until she opened the door, leading him inside and closing the room.

Almost immediately Kai's nose caught the scent of fiery cinnamon enter through his nostrils, the complete opposite of what he had just come from. The room was dark, with the only light filtering in from a dirty window that led to the outside world. Red drapes were hung from the ceiling and as his eyes scanned the area, he saw numerous shimmering metals lining the floor. Curiosity got the best of him once again as he leaned down and picked up the metal, holding the ring in his hand.

_A… handcuff? _

The handcuff was a standalone, the other one missing in the room somewhere. As Kai began to drop the cuff he realized that sticky substance ran along his fingers. Clasping his hand tighter around the cuff he trembled hard, smelling a very faint scent.

_Blood. _

A soft coo from the corner of the room caught his attention, snapping his neck towards the sound. The darkness in the room covered the source of the sound, but as Kai dropped the cuff and moved towards the sound's general direction he could hear the silent flapping of wings.

_Wings… birds? _

His feet moved towards the sound more, his ears catching the ruffle of feathers. Below him he could feel feathers move aside as he strode, his boots sticking to the ground slightly as he took each step.

_Blood… on the floor… wings… feathers… _

Swallowing hard, he realized that he had come to the end of the room. He breathed in hard, his heart pounding in his ears and dulling out any other soft coo sounds he heard from directly above him. Tracing his fingers over the soft walls he breathed out a little more, his head finally and slowly looking upwards towards the coos.

"Jesus!"

He fell backwards almost instantaneously, his entire body trembling like the feathers that surrounded him. The woman's eyes were a fiery red color, little coos emerging from her rope covered mouth. She hung from the wall like a crucifix, her arms lined with metal that tied her to the ceiling. The metal was covered in beautiful yellow, orange and red feathers, making her look like a phoenix in a cage. Her hair hung over her nearly naked body, the orange red color making Kai's brain click to connections.

He stared up at her evenly and stood up again, eying the latches on the metal. Her red tube top was smeared with blood, and the breech-cloth matched her top in both color and smears. Kai noticed the golden bangles that hung from her bare ankles, her feet also stained with dried blood. Uncertainly he came closer to her, gingerly touching her with a single finger.

She struggled to back away in fear, her wings losing their feathers and covering Kai. The man began to speak to her now, afraid and puzzled at the same time.

"Hey! It's okay! I'm not going to hurt you!"

The woman didn't listen and merely continued to struggle, Kai managing to get close enough to her to undo the shackles that were around her legs. She kicked at him hard, Kai nearly losing an eye in the process.

"Watch it!"

Searching along the wall for some sort of release trigger, Kai's hand happened upon a button that engaged the anti-lock system and released the metal. Hearing the clank of the metal going back into the wall, Kai felt the woman drop on top of him, his face landing hard on the floor.

Almost immediately the woman was handcuffed by the numerous metals on the floor that happened to notice her touch. Green lines twinkled here and there a bit, the sensory touch system fluctuating between shackles and handcuffs. She tried her best to pull away, her wings once again producing feathers in a storm of panic.

Kai sat up and rubbed his head, watching as the woman struggled against the system. Her hands were bound together and her mouth was roped shut, her feet the only part of her that were able to move in all directions. Crawling over to her quickly, Kai placed his hands upon the cuffs and spoke.

"Let her go!"

The cuffs withdrew as soon as they had come, leaving the woman free hands. The man only gazed at her for a second before she tackled him into a corner and tried to run away. Her body unfortunately gave out beneath her and she fell to her side, a soft cry emerging from her throat.

Shaking his head and recovering from the attack, Kai ran towards her again, getting down beside her and trying to pick her up.

"C'mon, there's a bed over there."

The woman kicked at him, scratching and clawing at the same time. The man did his best to hoist her over his shoulder and run over to the nearby bed, which happened to be white and clean. He threw her down unknowingly, the woman crying out in pain and agony.

"Calm down! Just calm down!"

He put his hands upon her wrists and forced them down, putting his body on top of her legs and forcing her down into the mattress. The woman struggled a little more, and then curiously a knowing look appeared in her eye. The struggling stopped and as Kai waited the woman instinctively opened her legs, her head rolling to the side.

"Hey, whoa! I don't want that!" he said, leaning back a bit. "I just wanted you to calm down… that's all." He spoke gently, not wanting to alarm her. His breaths came out in pants, his body relaxing after the ordeal.

The woman's eyes went to him carefully, Kai seeing that she was unsure of his motivations. Licking his lips and shaking his head he let go, sitting back upon the bed.

"See? I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to do anything. All I want is for you to just relax. Breathe."

The woman sat up, her wings coming up to hoist herself up to a sitting position. Upon closer examination Kai could see that her body was lined with scars and bloody marks that were shaped like Vs. He swallowed once again, speaking.

"Listen… I'm going to untie you… and when I do… I don't want you to run, ok?"

Hearing his words, the woman nodded her head and offered him her mouth. Clasping his hands over the buckle in the back he undid the rope gently, letting it fall to the floor. Along with the rope he also undid the metal bars that held the wings up for her. The metal clanked on the floor as he unhooked all of the wiring, the woman breathing a sigh of relief.

"You were… dressed like a bird… why?"

The woman stared at him blankly, almost not understanding him. She had obeyed his orders and not run, which made the wheels in Kai's head turn. He came closer to her, the woman flinching away.

"I'm not going to hurt you… I already said that."

Raising a hand to caress her face, the woman cried out again, animalistic cries escaping her throat. He withdrew his hand quickly, speaking.

"Please… I just want to know…" he began softly, his body moving away. "Are you the one… who's waiting for me?"

With this, the woman pulled down her hands that she was using to cover her face. She breathed rapidly, her eyes changing from fear to wonder. Slowly, she began to nod her head towards him, her posture relaxing.

"So… you're the one." Kai murmured, throwing the rest of the handcuffs and metal away on the floor. He turned to her again, and spoke.

"Can you tell me who you are?"

The woman remained silent, only eyeing the floor and the pure white bed sheets. Kai cocked his head, coming closer to her. The woman began to cry out again, but he took her hand softly in his. She stopped in her cries, gazing at him.

"I told you, I'm not going to hurt you."

She swallowed hard, Kai seeing the tears form in her eyes. He frowned.

"Don't cry… I didn't do anything."

The woman began to cry before him, the tears running down her cheeks and onto the bed. Kai sighed, taking her up in his arms and rocking her back and forth gently.

"It's alright… I'm here. I'm here."

_You've always been here. _

A sudden voice rang in his head, forcing him to pause for a moment. He looked about him, seeing no one else in the room but him and the now peaceful woman.

_You've always been right here… right here. As I have with you. _

"What?"

At that moment the woman tugged on his shirt, her head up against his chest. He looked down at her, a soft look in her eyes.

"What? What is it?" he asked, now addressing her. Putting her down upon the bed again, he pursed his lips, seeing her stare at him.

"You can't tell me who you are?"

The woman shook her head soundly.

"Why not? Is it a secret?"

Turning red and bowing her head down low, she opened her mouth to him, Kai peering inside cautiously. Stubble of muscle replaced the tongue she was supposed to have, Kai understanding.

"They cut off your tongue… so you'd never talk." He looked down, fingering the sheets presently. "And the reason you… opened your legs…"

She nodded slowly, her eyes welling up again. Kai felt a cold shiver run down his spine, his breaths coming out in shudders now.

_A whore house. That's what this is. It's a whore house. _

Gazing at her again, Kai could see why his touch bothered her so much. He finally understood where all the metal came from.

_The me here… used to tie her up… and dress her up like a bird… and…_ He growled, knocking himself with his fist. The woman leapt forward in confusion, seeing if he was alright.

_This is me… this is all my fault… she's in so much pain because of me… is this what I am here? Someone… who takes advantage of poor and defenseless women? She probably doesn't even have family… _

"Do you… have a family?"

A shake was all he needed.

Kai bit his lip, anger resonating in his chest. Swiftly he got up and dusted himself off, cracking his back and extending his hand towards her. The woman shied from his hand, but Kai insisted and she held onto him faithfully.

"Listen to me," he began. "You are nobody's. You are your own person. No matter what I did to you… no matter who cruel I was… I…" he paused, trying to regain his composure. "I want you to be free."

Her eye slit up, the amber red golden fire in her eyes sparkling. Her grip on his hand became stronger, her body moving towards him.

"Because no one deserves this. No one… deserves to get fired because I didn't have my cup of coffee in the morning… or tied up like a caged bird…" narrowing his eyes, Kai lifted her into his arms gently, setting her head against his neck.

"C'mon. We're getting the hell outta here."

* * *

"Who is this?" he asked, sitting opposite from the girl who sat on Kai's bed. Kai turned to him briefly before wrapping more blankets around the woman.

"I have no idea. Apparently it was my prostitute."

"Your what?" Tala exclaimed, looking at the woman who sipped at a cup of warm tea softly.

"She was the person who was waiting for me… that note on the desk." Tala nodded, swallowing and watching the woman carefully. "Sir, you're sure bringing her here was a good idea?"

Kai fingered the computer screen in front of him, looking over various IDs.

"I wanted you to find her a suitable home. Get her into a college or something."

"S-Sir?"

The woman was bathed and dressed normally, her bangles thrown out and her hair fixed so she looked almost perfect. She gazed at Kai thankfully and sipped at her tea more, looking at Tala now.

The assistant sighed and rubbed his temples, getting out his notepad and jotting down a few notes. Birds from the outside caught Kai's attention as Tala stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving the two be.

"You know, buying you wasn't what I had intended to do at first, but seeing you like that… well nobody deserves that."

The woman looked away from the birds to him now, her lips pursed.

"I couldn't very well leave you there… after all you had been through." He clicked the screen off and sat back in his seat.

"Soon you'll have a family all of your own… and a bunch of people will love you and take care of you. I'll make sure of that."

Before he could move the woman stood up from his bed, walking over to him. Kai watched her closely, seeing her bite her finger and drawing blood. His eyes widened.

"We just got you cleaned up! What're you-"

Taking a piece of paper from his desk she pressed her finger down upon the paper, drawing in random lines.

Kai watched in fixation as she drew and drew, not making out any sort of pattern or design. Her handwriting scribbled from up to down, and then right to left, confusing him to no end.

"You need a band aid…"

At once she stopped, her finger finally blotting the blood and the drawing done. Sticking her finger in her mouth Kai remained silent as she walked back to his bed and crawled in, falling asleep almost immediately.

The clock on the wall ticked ominously as his eyes set upon the bloodied paper, his mind trying to make sense of everything. The lines suddenly became figures as he touched the paper and moved it back and forth a bit. Holding the drawing up to his face and tilting the paper sideways, he finally read what she had written him.

His heart plummeted to the ground and a cold chill overcame him as he read.

Dranzer.


	8. Fire

"Take care!" he waved the car goodbye, seeing her eyes follow him through the back of the car as the machine drove away. Dust and grime settled after a few moments, leaving both Kai and Tala on the street alone. The day was already turning into night, and twilight set in upon them, Kai looking down and feeling a twist in his heart.

"Sir?"

Gazing up at Tala, he realized that the feeling in his heart made him want to sit down and do nothing. He was beginning to understand why he had come here in the first place.

"Yes… Tala?"

"Sir… Sir are you alright? I know I keep asking that but… well from the look in your eyes I can't be sure you are."

Sighing and kicking a pebble down the street, his eyes fixated upon a small bird that circled overhead and eventually flew off into the distance. Understanding why he was here was making him more confused and sad than ever.

"Tala… I'm starting to get it now… I think… I think I'm starting to understand why I'm here… maybe I'm wrong but… I need to know for certain. I don't know how to do that."

His assistant breathed in deeply, swallowing and thinking before answering.

"There is a… shrine nearby… if you want me to drop you off there for a little while. Just to clear your head."

A caw from above made Kai gaze at the twilight sky, the auburn colors of the sun reflecting upon the beauty of the water in the distance making him think of her. He licked his lips and turned to Tala again, that feeling in his heart slowly becoming painful.

"Yeah… I think that's best.

* * *

Crickets chirped quietly around him, fireflies dancing in the cool night air as Kai stepped out of the car and closed the door. Tala rolled down his window, speaking softly.

"Call me when you're ready to go back… alright?"

Nodding his head and stepping away from him, Kai watched as Tala drove off into the night, the sound of trees and far off animals his only company for miles. Where he was he did not know, but he trusted Tala, and found himself in a place that resembled ancient shrines that held mysteries and stories.

There was no path, but a grave of stones that formed a circle around a single flower that bloomed under the luminescence of the gradually rising moon. His feet took him closer to the flower, and as he leaned down to examine its features the flower pulled back from him. His fingers grazed the now close petals, stroking the soft gently.

Whispers of the wind and slight chirpings filled his ears; every sound seeming as if a massive drum was being beat against. A slight breeze caught him off guard, Kai tightening his jacket around him and zipping up, fearing a cold.

_Tala said this place would give me answers… and somehow clear my head… but what is it that I… what is it that I have to do here? _

Feeling the pain in his chest twist and turn, Kai decided to sit in front of the flower. The wind blew again, rustling his hair and making the pink chimes above him ring like Christmas bells. He wasn't sure how to go about asking for help, or directions, but he was sure that he was in the right place.

_How do I get out of here? I know I have an existence here… in this place. But my other existence… will the 'me' that has lived there… all that I remember that I am… will that fade away into this existence? _

He pursed his lips, the moon shining brightly overhead. His fingers unknowingly grasped at the ground, Kai getting closer and closer to the flower. Another breeze made him close his eyes as leaves began to dance around him, their rustling in the wind almost speaking to him. His ears began to play tricks on him now, Kai's eyes widening as he began to understand the voices.

_He, who has forgotten, must also remember. _

"He who has…" Kai began, the words seeming both alien and natural in his mouth. His heart pumped a little harder now, the leaves dancing in a circle around him, picking up his hands and lifting them into the air. The man felt his skin shiver, his hair standing on end with a sense of warmth and tranquility that now poured from him. Strong and gentle arms were holding him up, igniting the leaves in sparks.

Each leaf turned a bright red orange color and suddenly vanished, the leaves now becoming falling embers that scorched the already parched ground. The flames danced around him now, a sort of fire spin igniting his sullen heart and giving him hope. His clothes also danced with the flames, little figures coming out of the red and pulling at him playfully.

_What is this? _

The flames danced and danced around him, calling out to him and warming his body. Kai curled his arms to his chest, his breaths coming out in will-o-wisps. The flames did not burn the flower however, as the fire danced everywhere coolly and allowed the moon to shine its majesty upon the little beauty.

The flower reopened.

At that moment the flames erupted in a massive explosion, Kai's being heating up so much he felt as if he were sitting on the surface of the sun. The sudden explosion of power and warmth felt so familiar to him, but Kai could not put his finger on what made everything around him happen.

"Who are you?" he asked aloud, his voice coming out rather scared and frightened. He backed away a little, fearing the answer.

The moonlight darkened as a cloud passed overhead, the light now emerging from the ground in a fury of beautiful yellow and orange red lights that made Kai shield his eyes. Embers that fell around him suddenly transformed into golden characters that littered his skin and imprinted their symbol upon him.

His throat went dry, his eyes only barely making out the symbols on his skin. They did not burn him, and almost immediately the symbols lit up in a furious light, blinding him. A wild cry of power set him flying upon his back, Kai struggling to cover whatever part of him he could.

The flames around him became wilder, dancing with shadows of people and animals that cried out with their mighty voices to the sky. Their power drew out a mighty beast that emerged from the shadows and addressed him.

_My little one. _

Breathing hard and feeling almost numb to the core, Kai turned his head a little to see a mighty flame bird covering him with its body. The wings licked at his boots, a fire head coming down to see him closer.

_My little one… welcome. _

Licking his lips and trying to speak, Kai stared up in awe at the towering beast. His brain was frozen.

_My little one… do you not know who I am? _

His brain tried to reboot itself, but every time Kai tried to think his brain refused to kick into high gear. He opened his mouth once or twice, both times his tongue failing him.

_Do you not have the courage to address me as I am?_ The bird cried, lifting its wings into the sky. _I am Dranzer! The phoenix that extends her mighty hand to all who desire power and life into a barren land._

"Dranzer… Dranzer…" Kai mumbled his words, his body slowly coming back to life as he gazed up at the gigantic bird. "Y-You're… you're the girl… why…"

_The girl is me, little one._ She replied, her mighty wings finally fading to her sides_. I am her in this world, as you are 'him'. _

"I am 'him'. Who is 'he'?" Kai asked, his voice trembling with both fear and anticipation. Maybe he would get some answers from her.

_He is you, and you are him. You two are one and the same._ She gazed down at him lovingly, answering softly. _Do you not remember the other side?_

"My life?" he offered, sitting up now. "My life… of course I remember my own life!" he nearly spat out his answer, gazing at her. "Dranzer, of course I remember. That's all I can remember! I need to know… what I'm doing here. Why I'm here."

_Don't you know?_ She mused, her eyes narrowing. _You are here because of your own doing. Do not recall? _

"I… I remember that fight I had… and then that's it! I wake up here in an office and a building that supposedly belongs to a billionaire me!" he exclaimed, getting closer to her. "What am I supposed to do here?"

_For that to be answered, you need to realize who you are._ Her mighty flames danced around him and bought him closer to her gentle bosom. _You must right the wrong you have done, but also realize what you have done. _

He felt along her strong build, Kai only coming up to her mid chest. His fingers felt the soft flame curl around him and whisk away into the cool night air. Her large and beautiful crowned head came down and nuzzled his hair, making his cheeks red.

"How am I supposed to know what I did wrong, if I don't believe I did anything wrong?"

_The effects of the people here are what you have done to them, little one._ Dranzer answered, her wings coming to grasp him gently. _You were the one who made this world, and you are also the one who can undo this. _

He glared up at her now, shaking his head furiously. "You're blaming me for all of this? I didn't want Tyson to be a drunken hobo! Or for Tala to be my assistant or for you to be that girl!"

_Is that not how you treated them before however?_ She asked, making Kai confused. _They are exactly as you wanted them to be. You wished for solitude, for peace of mind, for no burdens, and thus the Gods have granted your wish. _

"The… 'Gods'?" he asked, his voice trembling as well as his knees. He suddenly realized he was dealing with a much higher power; not that being held in the wings of a flaming phoenix was anything next to ordinary power.

_The Gods recognized your wish and took pity upon you… for you seem dearly troubled._ Dranzer softened her grip on him, Kai feeling the release and ruffling his fingers through her feathers. _It is up to you to figure out what you have done wrong, and for you to right the wrong you have done._

"But what if I don't know what I'm supposed to do?" he cried, the flames now growing and nearly drowning out his voice. "Dranzer!"

The fire bird screeched in his ears now, her voice carrying like thunder.

_I am here with you, little one. Remember that I am always with you. Through ashes, a phoenix raises, golden and red as the sun gleaming with pride and honor. _

"Dranzer!"

_I have always loved you. _

All at once the fire died, Dranzer's body vanishing from beneath him and letting Kai fall flat upon his face. He rubbed his nose and sat up, calling out her name.

"Dranzer… Dranzer!" his voice carried in the wind, but no sound came to recompense him as he crawled around the flower, the petals now closed to the moonlight. The symbols on his skin had vanished, and he was left with a cold chill on the inside. After some time he gave up on trying to reach her again, accepting Dranzer's words and mulling them over in his head.

_I have to… right the wrong that I did there… so that I can see what I have to do… but what is it that I'm supposed to realize? _

He stood up slowly, dusting himself off and gazing out into the night sky. The moon shone down upon him brightly, Kai lifting his head to see her majesty.

_I guess… I should try to find the others… I already met Tyson… and Dranzer. Max is next and… _

He stopped, his heart suddenly throbbing with a pain he could not understand. His hand clenched at his chest, his nails digging into his skin and his heart feeling as if it was about to rip out of his chest.

_This pain… is it connected to… him? _

Clearing his mind for once, the pain slowly subdued into a dull throb, allowing Kai to take out his phone and call Tala. The wind picked up again, rustling his hair as he hung up with his friend, the voices of the trees whispering to him.

_I'm supposed to meet them all… and by doing that, then maybe I can figure out how to get home. If I… can even get home… _

Not letting the sadness of the situation bother him much, he turned his heel towards the clearing in the distance and walking slowly towards the place where he was dropped off.

_Seeing Dranzer like that… is just how I remembered her… she's a bit-beast God after all… in all her majesty and flame. She looked… beautiful. The Dranzer here is a beautiful girl… who I abused… _

His heart plummeted again, and this time Kai could understand the feeling of guilt and despair that plagued him so. Everything was as she said; everything as his doing, and his fault. He could not right the wrong he had done until he had realized what he had done, and in order for him to do that he had to see what had become of the others.

_When I meet Max… I have to see what I can do to… right the wrong… and then… _

His thoughts were interrupted as a black car rolled up in front of him, the front window opening to let Kai see a familiar face.

"Sir, your vehicle awaits."

Stepping in front of Tala's window, Kai opened the door and tugged Tala out of the driver's seat, getting in himself and locking the door.

"Get in, I'm driving."


	9. Water

He pushed on his pen again, hearing the click of the metal. Papers and files were upon his desk, his feet also accompanying them. He sighed heavily, staring out the window to his left. His whole room was a big landscape, the city being seen from all around view. The clock on the wall ticked silently as he up righted himself in his chair, swerving around to see the entirety of the room.

Birds flew overhead, their feathers masking the new day sky with flicks of black and grey. Kai sighed again, his head turned to the scheduled appointment note on his desk.

Appointment scheduled for 9:30 A.M.

_Do I really have to go to this appointment? What Dranzer said is still bothering me… how can I right the wrong that I've done? What have I done wrong? _

He tilted his head back and gazed up at the grey ceiling, his mind a jumble of thoughts and various voices that were telling him to either jump off a cliff and forget this nightmare ever existed or simply just drink himself to death. Either way he would end everything.

The day had only just begun and already Kai was feeling like he needed a long rest. Counting the days and possibly even weeks, he began to realize that he had been in this 'alternate' universe for quite some time. Almost two weeks had passed since his arrival, and yet he still could not figure out what he was meant to do. Dranzer had been his only option, and she had come out of the blue.

_She was one of the Gods who heard me… the Beast Gods that granted my secret wish. But why now of all times to grant me that? Why not just wait a while? I guess that's why they call it 'Divine Intervention'. _

A knock on the door signaled him to get up and answer, Tala standing before him looking professional as always. A pair of keys was dropped into his open palm, and Kai stared at Tala knowing what he was going to say.

"I'll get my jacket."

* * *

"So you're saying I have a client in District 379A that hasn't paid… what now?" his hand traced over the leather seats once more as his assistant tapped in a few numbers on his electronic floating pad. Tala was always on top of things.

The limo was warm and comfortable, the sun shining in from the rooftop window. A few clouds flew by as they turned into an alleyway and parking away from the common streets. The cobblestones hurt his feet as Kai got out and dusted himself off, adjusting his tie that he was forced to wear. He had never liked ties.

"The client here Sir, has resisted arrest multiple times by way of bargaining." Tala spoke to him, Kai turning his head to the man as they both walked away from the limo. A few caws from overhead distracted Kai as he entered into the store, closing the door behind him.

"He has agreed to pay us back three million in loans over the past five years, of which he has made almost no payments whatsoever." Tala clicked a few more buttons, adjusting his glasses over his nose. "He insists that he will earn the money by the next payment month, but as a result of that we have lost over five million in revenue, tax, and income profit. We're here to take the money."

"By force I'm guessing."

"Naturally."

The store wasn't as brightly lit as Kai thought it would be, the lights flickering on and off here and there. For some strange reason, there seemed to be machines that resembled bicycles lined up and down the walls, various parts and machinery littering the floor an making walking through the pile almost impossible.

The counter to their front was completely empty, save for a register and a window that stood behind the counter that was so full of dust Kai wasn't sure if the window was actually a window or some crude drawing of one.

There was a pathway leading to a hallway of some sort off to their left, and as Kai rung the dusty bell on the counter a loud crash could be heard from the end of the hallway.

Kai swallowed and backed away from the counter, wiping the dust off his hand with a napkin he had in his pocket. His nostrils were filled with the scent of both machinery and oil; his brain already beginning to make escape plans.

After a few moments another crash was heard, and a loud voice yelled

"Just a minute!"

Tala checked his watch and sighed impatiently, fiddling with his electronic pad. The darkness of the store seemed eerie to Kai as he stood there, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Don't you think you're on that thing long enough?" he asked.

"I'm your assistant remember?" Tala replied, finally pocketing the item. "I have to keep up with the things you don't. Oh and you have another pile of papers you have to file on your desk."

"Lovely."

Another crash was heard and finally a scuffle of footsteps alerted the men's attention to another person approaching them. Kai cracked his neck as he stepped forward, seeing a dark figure approach them both hastily.

"I-I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Mr. Hiwatari!"

"It's alright." leaning over the counter, Kai could hardly make out the figure that hid himself behind the darkness of the counter before either man could catch his face.

"Mr. Tate you do understand the consequences of not paying off our revenue and loan? Or perhaps you would like us to send in human resources again?"

Tala stepped forward and put a briefcase upon the counter, glaring down at the figure who then decided to stand up and gaze at them. Kai's eyes widened.

"Max?"

The man swallowed hard and put his hands up, almost begging for mercy. His golden hair fell gently over his neck, his bright blue eyes seeming so dim in the darkness before them. Kai stared at him intently, his ears ignoring the speech Tala was making about debts and loans. He had found Max. He had found another friend.

"Max are you alright?" Kai asked, taking a step forwards towards the man. Max in return, took a step back and shook his head uncertainly.

"I promise I don't want any trouble, just give me two more months and-"

"Max… You can't believe how relieved I am to see you!" Kai exclaimed, his nerves riled up from excitement. "Things have been so weird lately… and look at you… you in this world… you're…"

The young man gazed back at Kai hesitantly, his head tilted to the side. He was dressed in nothing but a green shirt and jeans with a dirty apron on. His hands were covered in oil and grease, the fingers of a young man already soiled with the hard labor of life.

"Me in this world? What are you talking about?" Max asked, coming closer to Kai now. "You've been asking me for money for four years now… and you're saying this?"

Max turned to Tala now, confusion on his face.

"Is this the same boss? Or is this some replacement? Because you got a really good looking replacement."

"Sir, please let's focus on the issue at hand here." Tala replied, putting a hand on Kai's shoulder. "We need to collect from him. He owes us money."

"I told you I need two more months and I'll get the money!"

"Sir-"

"Both of you stop!" Kai shouted, wanting to block out the world. Silence filled the air and as all three of them stood in the silence, Kai decided to finally speak.

"Max I-… er… Mr. Tate… can you please show me and Tala here to a closed in space? I find secrecy the best thing to discuss negotiations."

Max's eyes narrowed, but his body turned towards the door to his right and he opened the pathway towards the hallway. The man allowed both Kai and Tala to go in first, Kai eyeing the outside door for signs of anyone following them.

The hallway was long and dark, three rooms belonging to equipment and machinery, with one leading to a sad looking living space. A single bed, a flower near a window, and a chair were all that lay in the room. The flower was wilted and seated upon the windowsill, the chair off to the corner of the room looking rather old and worn out. An open closet to Kai's left confirmed his suspicion of little to no clothing other than what Max wore on his back.

_What a sad existence. _

"Gentlemen… I'm sure you can make yourself at home here… nothing to hide really." Tala took a seat upon the chair, scuffing at the dust and readily getting up when necessary. Kai plopped down upon the bed and waited for Max to join him, the young man getting something from inside the closet.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thank you." Tala replied, taking out his notepad. Kai licked his lips and nodded his head, Max handing him a beer can gently. Taking a beer himself, Max sat down next to Kai and sighed, gazing at Tala.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Whatever you have now would be great." Max rubbed a hand through his hair and then down his back.

"I've got three thousand dollars…"

"We'll take it."

"But that's all I've got. If I don't have that, I can't keep this place running." Tala shook his head, fingering his electronics. "That's business."

"How old are you?" Kai interjected. Max turned his head to him in confusion, rubbing his hands together.

"I'm uh… twenty. Why do you ask?"

"You're a kid huh?" Kai laughed weakly, opening up his beer. "Even here you're a kid… so young compared to me. Always were."

"Sir, may I add that-"

"You live here alone?" Kai ignored Tala completely, eyeing Max with interest. The young man nodded his head warily, swallowing. Kai breathed out warmly.

"You keep this place up all by yourself?"

"Yeah. My folks passed away a while ago when I was back in high school. They were driving one night… it rained."

"I see…" Kai put a finger to his chin, sipping at his beer more. The cold beer trickled down his parched throat and made him feel more at ease.

"How long have you lived here?"

"About six years. The first year I lived off the family bank but now… well that's why you're here."

"What do you do here for a living Max?" out of the corner of his eye, Kai could see that Tala had somehow become interested in the conversation as well, leaning forward to hear more of Max's story.

"Well you see… I wanted to become an engineer… but since college never happened, I decided to kind of play around with parts and see what became of them. All those bikes you see out there are handmade. I made them myself from spare parts I found in the junk yard nearby."

"Handy aren't you? Always were." Max smiled a little at Kai's warm remark, Kai noticing the constant sad look in Max's eye.

"So… you rented out this place so you could start some kind of business up with the engineering? I suspect that didn't go too well." The walls were dirty and the floors were beginning to rot, and as Kai drank the last of his beer he decided to stand up.

"Tala, do we have engineers in any of our departments?"

Tala snapped to attention at Kai's question, his notepad flipping out and igniting. The assistant gazed at Kai questionably, his fingers not so quick to look for an opening.

"Sir, we don't really need any more-"

"Fire someone. I don't care who."

"But Sir I-"

"Just do it. Tomorrow morning I expect there to be a new replacement for whoever has the lowest record." Kai walked over to the flower at the windowsill and put the beer can he had in his hand next to the sorry plant, eyeing the pink petals.

"Did your mother like flowers?"

Max turned to him as he stood up, speaking in whispers.

"Yeah… she loved flowers. Especially pink ones."

Kai nodded his head mutely, turning his heel to Max and stuffing a card in his face. The young man gazed at the card and then back at Kai, who in turn proceeded out the door and into the hallway.

"I expect to see you promptly at seven in the morning tomorrow. We have a need for an engineer in our machine department."

Kai felt Tala closing in upon him, Kai turning his head a little.

"Sir there isn't any need for him! What about the money!"

"What about the money?"

Kai felt Tala's footsteps die to a stop as a gasp emerged from his mouth.

"But Sir we've already lost so much I-"

"There comes a time when you have to think of those around you… of those who have it…" he rubbed his hand upon the dirty counter and blew the dust off. "Worse than you. There are some people who… despite all odds… still live in their cornered little world."

Tala's lips pursed, and then he held his head down. Kai felt along the lines of the floor now, picking up some dust and feeling the grime.

"By this time tomorrow… you'll have a new apartment."

At this point Max had stepped up beside him, his head shaking.

"Mr. Hiwatari…"

"I just want you to know… that under my protection you'll be safe." Max stared at him blankly, Kai putting a hand upon Max's thin shoulder. Kai's grey eyes traced the man who stood in front of him in shock and he smiled weakly.

"I just wish… I had seen that earlier."

"Get down!"

Kai felt himself being pummeled to the ground, his back hitting the surface hard and depriving him of breath. Tala was on top of him, Max covering his ears and rushing to the back of the store.

"Sir, they're back!"

Lifting his head and seeing the broken glass that lay on the floor, Kai sat up wearily as a black figure approached him quickly.

"Motherfucker where's our money!"

His head was a fog, and he couldn't even see straight. Red ran into his eyes and blotted his vision, Kai hearing the sounds of a struggle between two men. Looking up he managed to make out Tala's form holding a gun towards the sky, which happened to be attached to a man. The man hit Tala over the head with the back of the gun, knocking him flat on the ground. Kai wanted to scream out, but for some reason his body refused to listen to his brain.

Screams were heard as gunshots were fired, Kai feeling his body begin to regenerate with a sense of urgency. He knew he had to escape.

A sudden blast of magnetic air sent the man flying into the wall behind him, his body exploding in a blast of blood. A young man held something in his hand that resembled a gun that came from an alien movie, radiating with an eerie metallic blue glow and pulsating with electricity.

The man was mouthing words to Kai, but he could hear none of them. His body was reacting to words however, moving at a rather sluggish speed towards Max who fired another two rounds at an oncoming masked man. Shots rang out again, Kai covering his bleeding ears.

Blood stained his clothes now, Max dragging Kai into another part of the store that he hadn't seen before. A hidden staircase led up into an attic that held a covered machine which whirred quietly.

Kai felt himself stop before the machine, his senses all hitting him at once. The gunshots from below vibrated through his toes and made him waver. Soon Max reappeared with Tala on his back, throwing him down to the floor.

"We have to get out of here!" Max cried, thrusting the weapon into Kai's hands and unveiling the hidden machine. Kai ran towards Tala's body, trying to get him awake. The weapon was dropped as Kai slapped Tala a few times, the man eventually waking up.

"That's the second time I've had to slap you to wake you up."

"Is it-"

"No, it's not going on your record." Tala smiled at Kai weakly before spitting up some blood and falling down again. Hoisting Tala over his shoulder quickly, Kai turned to see Max boarding the machine that seemed to resemble another piece of machinery from a science fiction movie.

The machine was dark, and glowed the same color as the weapon. Lights emerged from the bottom of the craft as Kai heard Max shouting something to him.

"I haven't turned it on yet, but this is my hobby! She's a real beauty isn't she?"

Kai stared at the craft, which then his brain registered as looking strangely like a turtle. The shell opened to where Max was sitting with four other compartment chairs, all with leather interior and available seatbelts for all. Max had a headset on and was plugging in something to his floating computer, Kai throwing Tala's body into the compartment before the machine closed in on him. The craft was spacious and comfy, but from Kai's view the weaponry on the machine was what intrigued him the most.

"She's designed to fly in both air and water, along with some modifications."

The machine whirred and sputtered, Kai feeling as if he were in a lifting helicopter. He buckled Tala's body into the seat first, and then himself, shouting at Max over the sound of whirring machines and blades.

"What is this thing?"

Max turned to him and smirked, a knowing look in his eye.

"Draciel."

* * *

The turtle machine burst through the roof of the building, and as Kai looked out the compartment window he could see nothing but smoke and dust cloud his vision. The store was no more, but they were safe and out of harm's way.

The machine had quieted down now, Kai being able to speak to Max regularly.

"When did you build this?"

"I've been building it since I was in high school." Max replied, smiling. "She's my beauty. I always liked turtles, so why not make one that can fly and swim? I mean… she's a real weapon if you wanna use her that way but, you know. I don't want to."

Kai nodded and sat back in his chair, seeing Tala wake up again from his deep slumber. Tala rubbed his head, noticing the blood stains and looking at Kai.

"What happened?"

"I'll fill you in once we dock at the pad." Kai leaned forward and spoke to Max, directing him towards the north.

"Just make sure you leave the keys with me. Don't want her getting stolen."

* * *

"He built that? He built that thing?" Tala shook his head, already not liking the news. "That thing is a weapon of mass destruction! Did you see the magnetic guns he had on those? You can't evade those!"

"He only made one."

"But that's not the point! With that, we could make millions, even trillions of-"

"Tala stop." Kai put a hand up, rubbing his temples. He was back in his bed, the curtains drawn and darkness settling in over them both. Tala paced the room, the bandages over his right eye almost falling off due to his nerves.

Kai was in his boxers, not wanting to deal with anything else. The day had been done, and he had an idea of what had just happened. The people from the business deal he had failed to meet struck again, and this time they were after him and his assistant. Luckily, Tala had tackled him to the ground before they had a chance to carry out their plan. He would have to thank Tala in some way for this.

Taking a puff of his cigarette, Kai flicked the end and spoke softly, not wanting to upset his headache.

"I gave Max a job here, he should be good. He created that machine, and Draciel is not to be used under any circumstances unless the President or somebody important calls asking for help. Got that?"

Tala sighed and nodded, stopping his pacing.

"What I don't get Sir… is how you seem to think everything you do here will end well. You let that drunken man go, you kidnapped a whore, and now you gave a job to someone who owes US money! Don't you think you're going a little too far?"

"Maybe I haven't gone far enough." Kai replied, flopping down upon his pillow and puffing out a ring of smoke. He closed his eyes momentarily and turned his head, now puffing out another ring.

"I think I'm doing the right thing… but yet…"

Feeling a presence beside him, Kai sat up and stared at Tala, who had his hands on his knees.

"Sir, what do you hope to accomplish?"

"I want to get back home to where I belong." Kai replied, sitting up fully now. "Back to where I came from."

"Don't you think that by now the Gods would have somehow summoned you back? Do you honestly believe that you've managed to change your way of thinking?"

"I just want to get back home…" Kai murmured, swallowing. "I have no idea how to do that. Dranzer said I have to right the wrong… but what wrong is there?"

"You want to leave this place… and then go home." Tala said flatly, shaking his head. "Sir, in all honesty, I believe that the more time you spend here, the less chance there is of you ever going back home."

Kai coughed on his ring, letting it out through his nose.

"What?"

Tala licked his lips. "So you did what you thought was right, but do you feel any better than how you did when you came here?"

To this Kai had no answer, and merely sat there.

"Do you feel fulfilled? Satisfied?"

_No… not at all… on the contrary… I feel… _

"Not at all." Kai replied, his shoulders sinking. His feet were upon the cold ground now, his eyes dimming.

"Sir, what friends do you have? What relationships have you bought upon yourself? You have nothing here… I can see that."

His heart began to sink lower and lower, Kai practically feeling as if his heart were swimming around in his stomach. He swallowed.

"The more I think about it… the more I think it's true." Kai didn't feel Tala get up from his seated position, and didn't realize he was at the door until Tala spoke again.

"You're just as sad and lonely as you were the first time you got here."

The door closed, and Kai was left to his thoughts. All at once he began to realize that there were no pictures of him with friends, him with anyone for that matter. He had not one friend listed in his phone, not one person to call on a rainy day. Nothing in his room screamed home, and nothing seemed friendly.

_I haven't a friend in the world… _

A shiver rode up and down his back, and Kai lay down upon his bed, covering himself with sheets in an effort to block out the world. The more he tried to block, the more voices came upon him and screamed at him.

Alone.

Alone.

Alone.

_I am… alone. _


	10. Rain and Storm

Two weeks and a few days… that was how long he had been in the alternate universe. He put out his cigarette in the ash tray that was next to him, Kai staring out at the bleak world that lay before him. The sky was covered in grey, wintertime's solid cold causing a fog to emerge from the warm waters of the ocean. The streets were lined with people bustling about, the birds were flying through the clouds and yet the world seemed to stand still to him.

His breath cast upon the window made a little haze, and as he pressed his hand up against the window the cold formed the outline of his hand. He had counted the days, and even the weeks he had been in this universe, and still everything seemed to be missing.

The sudden pain in his chest caused him to drop to his knees, his hands clutching at his heart. He had had this pain for a few days now, Kai knowing that the pain had absolutely nothing to do with his physical being, with rather with his emotional state of mind.

He swallowed, trying to regain his composure when another pang of pain struck, sending him flying onto his back. He writhed back and forth, the pain only increasing and making him nearly cough up blood. The iron taste filled his mouth, but the wine refused to be free.

_The only way to get out of here… is to correct the wrong I've done… but where is it? Where's this wrong that I'm missing? _

He breathed out heavily, cupping his mouth in his hands, trying not to gag.

_I've been to Kenny a few times these past few days… and he can't diagnose me with anything. It's nothing physical… it's purely mental. _

He grit his teeth, eyeing his empty bed, his mind clicking.

_He used to be there… everyday, waiting. Just waiting… _

That faint illusion of the one he loved faded in and out of his memory. A soft look upon his love's face made his heart bleed, his eyes getting heavy. Kai felt his body strengthening, the pain in his chest fading into a dull throb. He knew he had to go see him, the one he missed the most.

_I had never realized how much of my life you make up… I never realized… how much I would miss your hugs. _

Looking down upon the ground in sorrow, Kai breathed in and swallowed, scratching his arm. A few pieces of paper lay on the floor, scattered around like leaves on a fall day. He gazed at them blankly until his legs forced him to move towards his desk and his chair.

When he sat, his eyes focused upon a dark spot on the ceiling. The darkness of his room made him feel rather cold, but in reality Kai knew that everything was meant to be cold to him. He did not deserve happiness, nor did he ever deserve to have him back.

But he had to try.

The only reason why he was stuck in this god forsaken world was because everything was his imagination. Everything was his wish, his own doing. To undo the wish, he had to come to terms with what he wanted the most.

But what he wanted…

His fingers opened his computer as his other hand searched for another cigarette to light up. Smoking had become part of his daily life now, since the other 'him' had the habit. Kai shook his head, knowing who wouldn't like this.

His eyes scanned up and down the lists of names in his search file, none matching that of whom he searched. The green screen flickered as he opened up another page, blowing out a ring of smoke and tapping his fingers on the dashboard. He had to find him.

He coughed a bit and spat into a nearby empty jar near the wall, tossing his now finished cigarette into the same jar. Smoke filled the air as he breathed out, his eyes scanning over the pages once again. He was still clad in his pajamas, but in a way that made him feel more comfortable and at home. He never felt warm in any clothes from this universe.

At that moment a knock at his door came, and Kai shouted to whomever that he was inside. The door opened slightly and Tala walked in calmly, eyeing Kai and his nakedness.

"Sir, why are you still-"

"Who cares; why are you here? More papers to file?"

Tala silenced for a second before shaking his head and dropping his usual notepad. Taking his glasses off his nose and rubbing them between his shirts, he addressed his boss.

Kai took a second to glance at Tala when he was talking and automatically stopped, feeling that something was off. Tala was dressed in regular street clothes, almost as if to say that he was not working.

"Why are you…"

"Sir, I'm off today, but I came to see you anyways." Tala folded his hands over his knees and sighed heavily. "Listen, Sir. I know what I said last night was a bit… uncalled for… but it was my honest opinion. You came here… lonely and scared… and then… are you going to leave like that?"

Kai's eyes traced along Tala's form, and then down to his computer screen, where a flickering mouse awaited his command.

"That's the last thing I want." He replied, switching the computer off. "I need to find him, Tala. I need to find the one person I haven't met yet."

"Who would that be Sir?"

Kai licked his lips and paused, thinking. "There are certain things that need to take place for me to go home… and I have a feeling meeting him would only advance the complication of me going home."

"I follow you so far."

Getting up and getting a marker from upon his desk he stood before the nearest wall and began to draw, his brain contemplating.

"If I'm here…" he pointed to a dot. "Then I should be there… but I can't go there because I'm here. Each encounter has led me to some conclusion of what my brain wanted, which then ignored the feelings deep within."

He drew a sketch of lines and crosses, circles and squares, numbers and figures, and eventually the blank wall became black with marker tracings.

"If I meet him… then the last thing I would want to do is meet him… because each time I meet someone… every time… I become more like him… I can feel it."

"Sir, I'm severely confused right now."

"But I don't want to be him, because 'he' isn't me. I am me, and no one else. And for me to be me again, and reclaim my own identity, I would have to go and meet him… and I don't even know where he is… he could be anywhere…"

At this point the fumes of the marker were beginning to get to Kai's head, and almost as if on cue Tala opened a window, letting some air in.

"Sir, if you really want to find whoever it is you're looking for, then why don't you just ask? I mean… you do know the name right? You seem to know the names of all the other people you met in your previous life."

Turning to Tala and dropping his marker Kai took out his lighter and flicked the flame on, grabbing another cigarette from his desk. He puffed out and inhaled, smoke blowing through his nose. He knew who he was, but he had to be sure of everything.

"Look up this name…"

* * *

Luckily he was rich. The crowd was a mess, all drunken teenagers and heavily clothed people who had so many piercings on their face that Kai couldn't tell what their face was and what was their ear. The only reason he even got tickets was because Tala had managed to snag two off of teenagers who exchanged them for a high price. Again, lucky he was rich.

He dug his way through the crowd, all screaming and hollering for the band to come out on stage. Kai glanced at his notepad as he took the thing out of his pocket and flipped through the pages. He was supposedly here, the leader of a band that was well known throughout the world. They went on tours and such, their latest gig happening right in the city where Kai resided.

Tala had been dragged along of course, and seeing as he was now his official sidekick in crime there was no way that Kai was going to leave him out of anything anymore. He was almost like a brother to Kai. Almost.

"Sir, are you sure he's here?" Tala screamed over the noise. Kai turned to him, eyeing a teenage girl with a short skirt on who passed by. He scowled in disgust.

"Yeah, he's gotta be here. Look at all the ass that's showing."

Kai had dressed nicely, of course, seeing as this was the first time he would see his love in this universe. He wanted to give this 'him' a good impression. Neon lights rained down upon the dark crowd, clouds covering the shimmering stars of the night sky. Fresh air was soon filled with moist scents of weed and drugs as the stage began to light up with vigor. The concert was about to start.

Kai could feel a tense hand upon his arm, and as he turned he felt the grip tighten.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

Kai breathed in and out softly, eyeing the man who was slowly walking onto the stage and making the crowd go wild.

"So do I."

* * *

The sounds of the heavy metal band screaming almost made his ears bleed, the crowd making him feel even worse than when he was at the club. Numerous times he was kicked in the face with heavy boots that seemed to weigh a million pounds. People around him wanted him to be dragged into the forming mosh pit, but time and time again he had been pulled out by Tala before he got in too far. Tala was always coming to his rescue.

The lights, the noise and the heat made him dizzy, Kai feeling as if he were about to faint at any second. The scent of weed made him nauseous and as the night dragged on he felt as if he was about to throw up his dinner.

With what little strength he had, Kai held out until the last song, finally having a chance to eye his VIP pass and get a little breath. The teenagers stared at him, calling him old man as they walked by, even when some of them looked older than he was. Kai breathed in and out calmly now, the scent of weed and the heat from the people leaving his body thankfully.

A strong hand on his shoulder led his head upwards and out of the cloudy mist that had become his field of vision.

"Sir, I think you want to head backstage."

The night was only beginning to settle in, and as he uprighted his body he could see the band hanging out near the edge of the stadium. A few of the band members were talking, and seeing as the stadium was outside, there was nowhere for them to really hide.

Kai felt a bit of nervousness overcome him, but he quickly shook his nerves off when he saw the band members leaving. He took a leap forward and began to run towards the members who made their way to their trailer through an alleyway.

"H-Hey!"

His legs bought him closer and closer to them, one band member stopping and staring at him.

"Oh you got one of those VIP things?" the guy asked, giving Kai the up and down look. A bottle of beer was plastered in his right hand and as he took a swig he spat on the ground, waving to someone off in the distance.

"Yo tiger, I think this one's for you!"

"Fuck you man, I took the last one."

"Aww, c'mon." the guy said, turning around to Kai again. "He's a little shy, give him some time." The man waved to his friend again and motioned his hand for him to come around. Kai stepped forward, speaking softly.

"If he doesn't…"

"Nah, nah man. You want to see the whole band right?" the guy asked, holding out a hand. "Name's Jeremy."

Kai took the sweaty hand, shaking it and then gazing behind Jeremy to the next man who was coming up to them. Jeremy turned around to the larger man and smiled, taking another swig of his beer.

"I'm sure he wants to meet the guitar song leader right? The guy who eats the mike alive while ripping it out on his instrument!"

"Knock it off pipsqueak." The larger man said playfully, rubbing Jeremy's head. Kai's heart began to beat faster in his chest, the pain going from a dull throb to a subtle sharp pain.

_The pain… it's getting stronger… is it because…?_

The moon appeared in the night sky, the clouds moving to reveal the man who stood before him at least six inches above him in height and a good hundred pounds heavier in muscle weight. Kai's eyes widened, his hands clamming up with nerves and his knees shaking.

"You…"

The man nodded his head, smirking a bit. "I know, everyone gets a little star struck around me. Just try to relax and take it in, we're all friends here."

His eyes were just as golden as Kai remembered them; his hair not even tied up but waved all around him in some sort of purple black aura. He stood so much taller than Kai did, and for some reason both confidence and strength resonated from his being.

"You're huge… you're so big…" Kai whispered, gazing up at the man. "You're so different…"

"In person?" the man asked, tilting his head to the side. His earrings jingled as he twitched his ears, leaning down to Kai and smiling.

"I'm the same guy you hear on the radio chats online. It's still the same me." he paused, gazing at Kai. "Now, what can I do for you?"

All those voices that Kai heard in his head suddenly came back to him, the memory of his love's baby face getting replaced by the sudden man who stood in front of him. Kai swallowed for what seemed like the thousandth time that day and spoke softly.

"Y-You… uhm…"

"Come on now, no reason to be shy." The man said, holding out a hand. "The name's Ray, also known as the Tiger of the band."

_Go. Go to him. _

His body lurched forward as if some invisible force yanked him from his position, his arms wrapping around the chest of the man who he loved the most.

"Hey!" almost instantly Kai was shoved off and pushed to the side, the man dusting himself off. "I appreciate the love but please, no contact."

"You don't even remember me…" he murmured, staring up at Ray's face which hardened.

"Oh I won't forget you after today." Ray replied, shaking his head. "I know fans tend to get a bit extreme, but you didn't have to-"

"You have no idea how long I've been searching for you… you're so different!" Kai exclaimed, letting his heart speak for once in his life. He didn't want to listen to Ray's words, he didn't want to go anywhere else, and he didn't even want to talk. All he wanted was to be with Ray in some secret place in a corner of the world where no one could find them.

Ray stared back at him awkwardly, backing away.

"You've been looking for me?"

"Ray… Ray I'm so glad I found you… it's been so weird… I own this company, I have an assistant, Tyson's… and Max is… oh there's just so much I have to tell you and I… I…" he paused, sighing. "I missed you a lot."

"Okay buddy, I think it's time for you to go. We're on tour and-"

"You don't understand," Kai shouted, grabbing a hold of Ray's arm. "If I don't right the wrong I did, I'll never get home!"

"Get off!" Ray yelled, pushing Kai back again. "You're freaking me out now! Get the hell out of here!"

The rest of the band members were whispering amongst themselves, and gazing at the two of them. Kai ignored them however, his heart set on the one thing he wanted the most.

"Ray I know you… you have to believe me! I know you!"

"You and half the world." Ray retorted, beginning to turn away. "Listen kid, if I have to get a restraining order against you I will."

"Kid? You were younger than me!" Kai shouted; his voice cracking. "You were at least a few months younger than me!"

Ray stepped forward now, glaring at Kai. "Look, I'm going to tell you again, get the hell out of here. You're freaking me and my band mates out, and that's the last thing you want to do."

"Please just listen to me Ray…" Kai begged, his body getting weak. "I know you, I know I do! Just not here, in this time, but another time!"

"Get the hell out of here before I have to make you get out!" Kai's body was shaking now, his head pounding as all the good memories of him and his love made him want to scream.

"Please Ray… you have to believe me." Kai stuttered, feeling the cold of rain upon his exposed skin. "I found you, I came to your concert, and I did all that because I missed you… Ray I'm so… so lost… and I don't even know what to do anymore…"

At this point Ray grabbed him by his collar, dangling him above the ground.

"I'm going to count to three and if you don't agree to get out of here I will pummel you to a pulp."

Kai could smell that familiar odor of mint on Ray's breath, bringing back even more memories. He placed his hands upon Ray's, speaking softly.

"You and I… we used to walk through the park together… we used to talk together…"

"One."

"You would always be so observant of the scenery…"

"Two."

Kai struggled in Ray's grip, but the strength within the man proved to be too much for Kai to handle. Kai writhed back and forth, the pain in his chest adding to the growing pains in his neck.

"You like getting scratched behind the ears!"

Kai closed his eyes and readied himself for an impact that never came. His nerves continued to pump adrenaline into his veins as he was put down upon the ground, Ray gazing down at him curiously.

"How… how did you…" Ray shook his head, chuckling. "No, that must've been out there somewhere… God knows what people put on the internet nowadays…"

Realizing his moment of opportunity, Kai began to flood out words the he had kept inside his heart all along. Everything had led up to this moment, and in this moment he would prove to himself how he truly felt. Kai knew that this was his last chance: the Gods were watching.

"You love home cooked foods, there's a weird little birthmark on the back of your shoulder, you use herbal shampoo, and you comb your hair out every morning and night before you go to bed…"

Ray stared at him incredulously now, Kai feeling pain well up in his chest. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself.

"You have a great sense of humor… you love kittens… and you always said… that there will always be someone stronger than you… someone who will push you to your limit and beyond. That was you…"

The man's eyes were shaking now, his body moving back from Kai, who moved forward and wanting to embrace him.

"Ray… Ray please… I want to go home…"

"Who are you?" Ray asked, eyeing him. "There's no way you could have known all that stuff… there's just no way…"

Rain began to fall upon them both, drenching the men in cold wet. Kai could feel hot streams no running down his cheeks, his voice cracking more.

"Ray… remember me… please… you're the only one… I wanted to see…" falling to his knees and pounding on the ground, Kai began to shout now, his heart aflame and the pain wracking his body back and forth.

"I get it now! I get it! Are you fucking happy?" he cried, screaming. "This is my entire fault… everyone… it's all my fault! I'm to blame… fuck me… I'm the one who's unhappy… I'm the one with the biggest problem…"

His brain began to hurt now too, Kai holding his head as the rain poured down upon him. His body shook hard, his heart nearly bursting out of his chest.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… for everything…"

Footsteps could be heard around him, Kai's ears beginning to lull every sound he heard together into a mush and mixture of rain and buzzing. Sorrow poured from his eyes and as he screamed again he felt all the energy he had stream out of him. The rain soaked him to the bone, Kai feeling the cold of the ground hit his face before feeling the blood run out of his mouth and nose. For some reason, he was bleeding.

From somewhere in the distance he heard his name being called, and as he lay shivering on the ground, he saw the familiar shoes of his assistant run towards him. Kai smiled, closing his eyes as he heard his name being called again.

Darkness filled his world.


	11. Perspective - The Meeting of Three

He knew him. He just HAD to know him. Taking the cigarette out from his mouth and smashing it with his boot he stared out into the darkness, thinking quietly.

_How could he have known all that stuff about me? How did he know everything? Every little detail? _

Playing with a few strands of his long black hair, he suddenly felt warmth overcome his body. The dressing room was lit up dimly, and provided little to no heat. He wasn't used to feeling true warmth; the heat made him curious.

Somehow, the heat managed to get him off his rump from the metal chair he had been sitting on and to the door, where he paused before placing his hand on the handle. The heat was leading him outside, almost pushing him to get a move on. Where was this heat coming from?

_I can't imagine where I would want to go this late at night… especially after that incident with that guy two days ago… _

Thinking better of the situation he sat back down and grabbed the local newspaper that happened to be sitting on his dresser. His eyes scanned the pages over briefly before flipping the paper over and sighing to himself, ruffling a hand through his hair and down his neck. Something was tugging at the back of his mind.

The night was just like the night that guy had hugged him, that one fan who had gone a little over the top and said that he knew who Ray was. How was that even possible? How could someone who Ray had never seen before have known so much about him?

_The thought still irks me but… then again… I have this feeling… that somehow… someway… I… know him too. But who is he? Why can't I remember? Why can't I get a grasp of all these feelings that I have in my heart? _

Ray looked down at the paper which had seemed to flip to the front page again. Taking a moment to grab his beer from the dresser beside him he only began to read when he gagged on the liquor, his body coughing sporadically.

"Local Billionaire Kai Hiwatari expected to sustain critical injuries after a massive explosion of his vital organs occurred two nights ago… locals say that the billionaire was attending a concert when his heart gave way to an unexpected bought of pressure… leading to a stop of his internal organs…"

His eyes widened, his heart suddenly skipping a beat and thumping inside his chest. Kai Hiwatari… that was the man he had met in the alleyway that fateful night. He suddenly felt weak, slumping back in his metal chair and placing a hand upon his head.

_Did I really give him that much of a scare? I didn't mean to… _

At that moment something trickled down his cheek and onto his palm, Ray lifting his hand to see a wet dewdrop sitting in the center of his outstretched palm. Putting a finger to his cheek he felt along the wet and tapped his eye, realizing what had happened.

"Why… why am I…"

More tears sprung from his eyes and as Ray turned around to the mirror behind him he saw someone he did not recognize. A young boy whose face was twisted in sorrow and pain; his eyes the exact same as Ray's, but much more sad and filled with worry.

"Who… who are you?" he asked aloud, reaching up to touch the boy in the mirror. The youth turned his head away, and faded into the glass as Ray touched the surface, realizing now that he had to go. He had somewhere to be. His breaths came out in gasps now, and immediately he stood up and headed out the door, unsure of where he was going.

* * *

After about an hour of just wandering the streets, Ray decided to stop for a moment and figure out where he was. His legs had taken to the inner parts of the city, and from where he was standing; there was no one else in sight.

The night dragged on, the spurts of rain making him feel chilly. He looked around the sullen alleyway in hopes of finding anyone who could help him. The one time in his life that he wanted to be found, nobody found him.

He was about to keep going when suddenly something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Turning his head slightly and moving his body to the left he spied a very small girl gazing at him intently.

Her eyes were a flaming red color, clear in the misty night. He swallowed, seeing her stand behind a wall of a building and eyeing him. Ray stepped forward a bit, acknowledging her.

"Uhm…. What are you-"

At his voice she ran away, Ray hearing her bare feet splash in the puddles of rain that accumulated in the street.

"Wait a second!"

He ran after her, the girl proving to be much faster than he was. He breathed heavily as he ran into the alleyways and followed the footsteps of the girl, who seemed to be leading him. He would slow down and she would reappear as if from nowhere, gazing at him until he moved again. She was leading him.

_Where is she taking me? _

After some time Ray came to an opening in the alleyway that cleared into a street. Cars were moving past him now and people walked around. The street was alive with life, and as Ray turned around to see where he had come from the alleyway was gone, replaced by a dead end dumpster.

_What the heck is going on? _

Turning his head to gaze at the building above him, he felt someone staring at him from his left. Gripping his knife in his pocket he whipped out his weapon at the man who held up his arms in defense.

"H-Hey! Watch where you're pointing that thing!"

Ray softened a bit, realizing that the man was harmless and held no weapons. He held his knife a little lower than the man's neck, eyeing the man warily. He wore regular clothing, jeans and a blue sweater over a white shirt proved that he was hobo or any dangerous man for that matter. Ray could have taken him easily, but instead decided to trust the man.

"D-Did you follow… her here? I saw you… running after her too…"

Ray's ears perked, his arms letting down and pocketing the knife. He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing and his legs readying for a charge in case of lies.

"Follow who?" he asked.

"The girl… with the flaming red eyes. I saw you running after her… just like me."

Ray gasped silently, the man breathing in and out steadily and speaking.

"Look, I'm just as confused as you are. I was in my apartment calling it a night when the next thing I know this strange girl is lookin' at me with flame eyes and waiting for me to follow her out my door. Now I'm here… with you."

Ray shook his head, now trying to clear his mind and make sense of everything. He was following her just the same as he was. Which meant he wasn't going crazy.

"Wait… if you were following her… then… did you… meet a man named Kai?"

The other man rubbed his chin and adjusted his baseball cap, his fingers running through his hair lightly.

"You know, I was in a club, and I did happen to meet a guy… think it was that billionaire dude who's in the hospital or something now…"

"Then you did meet him!" Ray exclaimed, stepping forward. "So it wasn't only me… this means…"

Both of them silenced, Ray wanting to figure out what was going on as soon as possible. The man in front of him sighed and held out a hand.

"Name's Tyson."

"Ray."

Their hands touched and suddenly Ray felt a spurt of knowing run through his veins, his eyes drifting down to their handshake. Apparently Tyson was doing the same thing, as neither wanted to let go. Tyson's hand felt so familiar in Ray's, as if they had shaken each other hands numerous times before.

"Do I…"

"Know you?"

Their eyes locked, and both men let go reluctantly. The night rain was beginning to feel warmer now, both of the men turning at the same time to see a girl off in the distance. She stood before them, inside of the building that was looming before them. Clad in nothing but a white loose dress, she beckoned them inside, no one else passing seeing her except for them.

"There she is!" Tyson exclaimed, Ray following after him as they began to run towards the inside of the building. Ray nearly got run over by a truck as he crossed the street, not really caring about much of anything besides trying to figure out what was going on.

The men ran inside the building and scanned the lobby area, seeing no one in near sight. The smell of polished floors filled their nostrils as the door behind them shut, leaving them in an empty and rather quiet room. Ray breathed out, standing up straight and gazing around the room one more time.

"This girl… what does she want with us? And why us?" Tyson asked aloud, stepping up beside a confused Ray.

"I have no idea…"

"You saw her too then?" another voice greeted them both, a man dressed like an engineer coming up to speak. He appeared from a hallway to their left, approaching them cautiously.

"You two saw the girl… just like me. She led you here?" he asked, zipping up his slim blue suit. Ray nodded at the newcomer, now feeling less paranoid about the whole situation.

"She led us here… right here. Then she vanished." Ray replied, looking down at him. "I think… if we all saw her… and no one else did… then this must mean something."

"Did you meet a man named Kai?" Tyson asked, gazing at the man.

"Yeah, he's the one who saved my ass and got me a job here."

"Wait… he saved your ass too?" Tyson asked, getting closer. "He gave you a job… he made me… realize…"

Ray gazed at them both, now beginning to understand everything. He placed his hands upon his head and rubbed his temples for a second before speaking again.

"Tyson was it?"

Tyson nodded.

"Tyson and I have both met this person… and so have you. And since we all saw this girl… she led us here together."

"And who are you?" asked the man, staring up at Ray.

"Ray, and like I said before this is Tyson."

"Hey."

"I'm Max, an engineer for the Hiwatari company." Max paused for a second before talking again, a sense of familiarity making its way into Ray's heart.

"For some reason… I feel like I know you two." Max added, gazing at them. "It's like we met before…"

"Maybe he was right." Tyson said, Ray refocusing his attention. "Maybe Kai was right… maybe he really does know us."

"Did he start stating really weird things to you two? Like… who you are and what your hobbies are?"

"He said we were best friends." Max replied, blinking. "He asked about my parents… and somehow knew my personality."

"He said we were best friends too." Tyson murmured, clutching his hands.

"He said he knew me as well…" Ray stated, ending the conversation. "If this… if this is all true… then… somehow…"

"We all know each other. It may not be here like he said… but… somewhere…" Max's voice trailed on, Ray beginning to realize that their calling was destiny.

"He's in the hospital right?" Ray moved towards the elevators. "Maybe that's why we're all together."

"He has his own private hospital upstairs… he's been restricted to the top floor for medical reasons." Max replied, moving next to Ray and getting closer to the elevators.

"I know it sounds farfetched, but do you think you can take us there Max?" Tyson looked at him evenly. "I think that's where we're supposed to go."

"I think at this point nothing is farfetched…" Ray replied, his eyes tracing over the two men who had confirmed as allies in his mind. They were on his side, whether they wanted to be or not.

The dim lighting of the building added to the weird feeling presenting itself in Ray's chest as Max clicked the button to the machine. Ray switched his footing back and forth a bit, seeming rather nervous.

"How tall are you man?"

Hearing a voice from below Ray looked down at Max, who gazed up at him in wonder. Ray flushed a little, looking away.

"Almost… seven."

"Seven feet? No wonder you're huge!" Max exclaimed, smiling at him. "You're in that band right?"

"Yeah… the White Tigers." Ray replied, getting calmer. He knew them; he felt like he knew them for a long time.

"And you're the guy who sold me that bike a few months ago." Tyson chirped, smirking. "Had to resell it, but still a good bike anyways."

"It's weird… it's like… something was pushing us together… all these years…" Ray whispered, seeing the elevator reach their floor.

The men got in hastily, Max pushing the button to the top floor and the machine jolting to life. The elevator music made the pounding of his heart seem louder in his ears as a feeling of uneasiness overcame him now.

_I should go to a therapist after this. I'll need it. _

As the machine continued to be pulled upwards, the loudspeaker came on and blared in their ears.

"Would all employees please report to the lobby area at this time. We ask that all employees report to the lobby area at this time. The top floor is off limits to any workers. This is in your best interest to remain off the top floor."

Max gazed up at the speaker over their heads and whispered.

"That's weird… they never…" his lips pursed, his face becoming blank. Ray leaned down to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"What?"

"I think…" he breathed out heavily. "I think we need to hurry."

"You're feeling it too huh?" Tyson's voice redirected their ears. "That feeling that something ain't right…"

Ray nodded, looking at the glimmering elevator buttons.

"I started getting that feeling… but I can't tell what it is."

At that moment the alarms in the elevator began to go off, all of them covering their ears and screaming over the shrill sound.

"What the hell!" Ray screamed, feeling the machine come to a stop on the top floor. Before any of them could move, they heard shouts and screams of pure terror wrack their bodies.

"We can't get it open! It's locked!"

"Move aside, we have to break it down!"

Ray looked up beyond the opening doors to see the floor lit up in red alarm glaze, numerous policemen and other men rushing past them and towards a door to their right in the distance. For a moment all the men looked at each other before springing into action and gathering in the crowd that had formed at the base of the door.

"What's going on?" Ray screamed over the sirens, trying to get the attention of a red haired man who was pulling on the door frantically.

"Mr. Hiwatari is stuck in there! He's locked us out and we heard a crash, we have to get him out! We don't know what's going on! The cameras were all destroyed and there was blood on the ground the last time we saw in!"

Ray's heart began to pump more furiously now, his body struggling to get towards the door and pry it open with his bare hands. Max and Tyson were behind him, trying to make room for the huge Ray as he moved through the men and clamped his hands around the edges of the door frame.

"Max, Tyson, give me a hand here!" he shouted, the men moving into position. Max gripped a portion of the door's right frame, while Tyson held the other portion. Screams and shouts were drowning out the sound of Ray's grunting as he pulled upwards, digging his hands into the door's underside.

The heavy door proved to be a match for Ray's strength, but something within him told him not to stop, no matter what the cost may have been. He groaned as the door began to give way, Ray feeling the bend under his hands. He pulled harder now; sweat almost beading down his forehead. Tyson and Max were helping to balance the weight, and as the three of them worked together the rest of the men stepped back, seeing the immensity of Ray's power.

Soon the door's frame gave out and Ray uprooted the door from the wall, throwing it aside with force and causing most of the men to jump back in fear of his strength. He breathed for only a second before turning to the next door that lay before him. With all the power he had in him Ray lurched forward and using his shoulder burst through the next door which proved to be made out of wood rather than metal like the first one was. The wooden door bent easily under his frame and fell to the floor in a dusty heap.

Max and Tyson both burst in after him, scanning the room frantically. The stench of blood was in the air, and a few pieces of broken glass lined the floor. The room was dark, and the shadows of the men cast upon the floor in the little light provided by the thunder that rained in the sky. Ray breathed heavily as his eyes drifted towards the man who stood not too far from him, the breeze of the rainy night making his hair wave almost majestically. He was half naked, only wearing a pair of cargo pants to protect himself against the rain and wind.

Ray swallowed hard, staring at him and feeling something pushing into his eyes. The man stood there for a few more seconds before holding up his bloody hand to examine the damage. After fully seeing his useless left hand now, he walked towards the open broken window slowly, his feet reaching the edge. Gently his body fell forward, gravity pulling him towards oblivion.

Ray's heart leapt.

"NO!"


	12. Perspective - No Way Out

Just getting his eyes to open was a hassle. Everything hurt; his whole body was a mess of blood and aching pain that seared through his side and made him want to puke. He could feel every nerve ending wanting to explode and just shrivel up. Not knowing where he was exactly, Kai's eyes moved around the room until he finally came upon a familiar face gazing down at him intently.

"Sir? You're awake. I thought you had died."

Kai breathed in raptly, blood forming on his tongue and a cough emerging. Red speckled his hand as he sat up, Tala's hands moving to help him adjust to his new weakened body.

"You started coughing up blood, and then after that… you just simply collapsed. The official report says your internal organs ruptured. How do you feel now?"

Kai stared at him for a moment before feeling weak again and slumping back down to his pillow, feeling Tala wipe his hands with a soft cloth. The bed sheets were warm and a feeling of nostalgia overcame Kai. He was confused as to how he got there though.

"What…" he began, realizing his voice was as weak as ever. Tala understood however, seating himself next to Kai and beginning to explain the unfolding events which happened only two days ago.

"You met that person who you claimed to know, and then after that… you began to cry out that you were sorry… and then you collapsed. I took you to a hospital straight after, only to find out that your heart has suffered from a shortage of blood. For some reason, a hole opened up in your chest, allowing blood to escape your arteries, thus preventing a slight beating of your heart. The doctors did the best they could to fix it… your heart is now half metallic half organic, the most of it being metallic."

_I have a metallic heart now? _

Kai turned his head to the left now, gazing out at the sky. The beginnings of a storm were brewing, and the only thing he could hear were the sounds of soft raindrops on the windowpane. He pursed his lips and proceeded to close his eyes, allowing his brain to suffer what his heart did. He was no fool; he knew what he had gotten himself into. He knew what the Gods had planned for him, and in overall status he was fucked. That was the only word he could think of. Just fucked… he had been fucked over by his own self.

This universe was a manifestation of his dreams and desires; wealth, eternal happiness, everything he could ever buy and want was right at his fingertips, and nobody could stop him. He was the ruler of the world, he was the one everyone came to see, and he was the one…

Who wanted nothing more than to just shrivel up and die.

He was alone here, and even when he had found out that he was indeed responsible for the creation of this universe, there was nothing he could do to stop the flow of time. The Gods were watching him at every moment, they were seeing their options for him, and they were waiting to see what he would be doing, what his actions would be. He had done this to himself; he had trapped himself in a world where he was all powerful, but somehow also trapping himself into a corner. Everyone here hated him in some way shape or form.

He had met Tyson, he had met Max… both of them seemed to be what he always saw them in the other universe: low in life and struggling to get by. They were children to him. They always had been. Here, they had grown up to be what he wanted them to be. Tyson was always the one people sought after in the other universe, so in this one he was the drunkard no one cared about. Max was the childish one who was always positive and go lucky, for nothing could harm him or bring him down. Here he was orphaned, alone and struggling to make ends meet. Kai had forced them to succumb to his own twisted will, his own way of stating himself as the 'big man' in the world; he had made his footprint in human history here.

_Ray. _

Ray was a different story though; back at home Ray was the quiet one, often the voice of reason. He was the 'big guy' of the group, always reliable and always there when his friends needed him. Here he had not changed, although Kai did realize a few things.

Ray was bigger here, physically taller than Kai by more than a few inches and certainly more built than he was. Not only was he physically bigger, he was a superstar. He had his own band, his own crew, and his own fans. He probably even owned his own record label. He was the superior one in this universe, the one everyone went to. He attracted everyone… just like Kai wanted. He wanted someone strong and sensible by his side, but he had never imagined that Ray would turn out as big as he was.

_Looking back on it now… Ray was… he was so confident… so out there… I had to crane my neck… just to see his eyes… because what I wanted… I wanted someone who I could look to for protection and comfort… and yet he proved too much for me to handle. He was ten times more powerful than I was. I couldn't even make him release me! _

Kai swallowed now, opening his eyes again. Tala had left him in the room alone, the pitter patter of rain and the occasional rumbling of thunder the only comfort he had in his solitude. He tried to breathe out once again and blood greeted him in his throat. If blood was coming up just from a cough, he could have just imagined what would have come out if he tried to move. This did not stop him.

Sitting up and putting a hand upon his already dizzy head, Kai struggled to get to his feet, his body wavering back and forth weakly. He panted a few times, trying to get his senses back before slipping on a pair of green cargo pants that happened to be sitting on a desk near him.

His body felt as if it were made of lead, Kai meekly getting to his desk and hitting the page button his phone. He waited a few moments before letting go, knowing someone would answer him eventually.

"Sir? What are you doing out of bed? You're supposed to be resting!"

"Tala just…" he coughed a bit, blood spewing from his mouth. "Just get your ass in here."

He sat back on his chair, grateful to let go of the button and just sit there with a blank look on his face. Kai breathed in and out evenly now, the taste of iron blood in his mouth and trickling down his throat. He was slowly becoming accustomed to feeling like shit. He sat there for a few minutes before the door to his right opened and closed, Tala coming in with a notepad and his usual electronics. Taking his earpiece out, Tala spoke gently to his boss.

"Is everything alright Sir? You should really be resting…"

Kai gazed at him evenly until he decided to stand up, speaking.

"Tala… everything that I've done has led up to this point, and everything I've done to everyone else only proves what a horrible person I really am. I wanted my friends to be different, I wanted them to be the way I wanted them to be… and I didn't accept them for who they were. I wanted them to be different… I was the only one who had problems… I was the biggest problem child they had…"

He coughed again, covering his mouth with his hand and letting blood flow between his fingers. Tala rushed to his side, Kai feeling his assistant holding up his body as he slumped to the ground.

"Sir, what are you talking about? You shouldn't even be talking in the first place! You should be in bed resting!"

Kai managed to get back on his feet, pushing Tala off with little strength and sitting down upon his chair, his left hand almost completely covered in blood. His fingers twitched with the sensation of burning nerves running through his limbs. He coughed again and stared up at Tala, eyeing him warily.

"Tala… I want to tell you something."

Tala's eyes met his and immediately Kai could see the worry spring from Tala's body. Kai smiled at him hopefully, writing something down on a piece of paper he found on his desk. Crumpling the piece of paper into Tala's hand, Kai coughed again and wiped his bloody hand on his pants, speaking softly.

"I want to… right the wrong that I made for you too."

Tala looked at him incredulously now; Kai's coughing once again rearing its ugly head. The man sat back in his seat and put a hand upon Tala's, smiling.

"I wanted you to be lower than me… to obey me even more than you already had. For that, I made you this. The person you are here. It was because of my own desire to be all powerful and all knowing that bought me to this place… and maybe it's too late for me…"

Kai trailed off, knowing that the end was closing in upon him. The realization came too late: he could not save himself now. He had to deal with the present; the universe that he was trapped in was going to eat him and spit him out alive. He knew this was the end.

"To you, my friend… I give… everything."

At that moment Tala's eyes widened, his hands unfolding the paper. He gasped, too shocked for words. His mouth hung agape while his knees buckled under him, sending him crashing to the floor.

"M-M…"

"Everything, it's all yours. She's yours now… every last bit of it."

Tala shook hard, hugging himself in an effort to understand what had just happened. Kai saw Tala's confusion and helped the man up to his feet, smiling down at him.

"It's alright Tala… this is what I want… this is what I want for you. I want you to be happy. And if giving you everything is what does that… then it's okay. I don't deserve anything at this point… and you… coming from nothing…"

Kai's heart began to pump more loudly now, Kai trying his best to ignore the pain.

"You were with me the entire time, even when you thought I was going crazy… thank you. Thank you Tala."

Tala stood up now, with Kai's help and couldn't get the shocked look off his face. Kai's smile dimmed as he coughed again, ushering Tala out of the room.

"But… But Sir…"

"I'm not your boss anymore…" Kai replied, nearing Tala to the door. "Remember? Everything is yours… you're my boss now…" he paused.

"Sir."

Tala stopped him now, putting a firm hand upon Kai's naked shoulder. The two men stood eyes locked, their feelings being expressed in none other than pure emotional waves. Kai pursed his lips, ready to say something before Tala beat him to the punch.

"Alright… if that's what you want. I just…" Tala paused for a moment, gazing downwards. "I just want you to be alright. I honestly and genuinely care about you… Kai."

Feeling something wanting to push through his eyes Kai shoved Tala out the door and locked the knob, sinking to the floor and holding his bloody hand to his head.

_That's it. Everything is done now. I have nothing left. Nothing left…_

His heart pumped even harder now, and soon Kai found that he was spewing blood from the mouth again. Looking over at his desk, Kai staggered over to the files and files of papers that he had to organize and upturned his desk. Papers flew everywhere as Kai smashed the desk to bits, throwing his chair at the window that saw out into the city.

The chair hit the window with a heavy thud and cracked the glass a bit, the chair landing on its side. Kai threw more papers into the air and uprooted his foreign plant that he had in the corner of the room. Throwing the plant into the window as well the glass cracked even further and began to wheeze with pressure. Stopping his movements Kai let down the other chair that he had managed to get into his hands and stared at the window. A horrible thought crept into his mind.

The window was cracking, the splits of the glass lining the entire frame and making Kai wonder. Stepping up to the window placidly, he glanced at his left hand. His eyes began to tremble, and his heart pounded in his chest.

With a scream his fist connected with the window, shattering the glass even more. Screaming and crying out in agonizing pain at his bleeding knuckles, Kai hit the window again and again, craziness finally overcoming him and forcing him to pound. Eventually the window shattered completely under his force, and glass flew through the air.

The shards hit his body and sliced some of his skin, Kai standing there in pure shock that he managed to get the window broken at all. Pieces of jutting glass fell to the streets below, and as he stepped forwards even closer to the outside he could feel the sting of rain on his open wounds. Thunder lit his way as he came closer now; sure of what he had to do. Bloodied and wet, Kai held up his left hand to his face. He examined the damage done by the window, his hand now completely useless and in tatters. He couldn't feel or move his fingers, and at last Kai had found some sort of solace.

Letting down his hand and stepping towards the open window, a crash of thunder and lightning lit his way as he came forward, his feet being cut by the shattered glass.

_This is it. There isn't anything more for me to do here. _

He came closer and closer, not bothering to turn around and acknowledge the screams behind him as he walked towards his one and only way out of this horrible place. At least now he wouldn't have to burden others with his existence.

He leaned in forward slightly, opening his arms out to greet the everlasting drop that was before him. The wind picked up a little, ruffling his hair and slowly, Kai closed his eyes.

_Good bye. _


	13. Friends

Lurching forward he managed to grab Kai's wrist, the man shouting as Kai's body dragged him towards the ground. He pulled up and out, his strength forcibly tugging Kai to re-enter the room by flight. Kai landed on top of him now, the world seeming to speed up once again after Ray hit the ground on the glass.

He panted and got up, shaking off the glass and looking at Kai who was unconscious as blood was coughed back up. His heart was shaking terribly, Ray rushing over to the man's side and grabbing his hand.

"Kai! Kai!" he cried, shaking the man's hand back and forth. Gathering his courage Ray slid his arms underneath Kai's body and lifted him into his lap, fitting Kai's head upon his arm. Tyson and Max came up beside him now and knelt down with him, all of their eyes fixated upon the man who remained unconscious in Ray's arms. Ray's eyes darted about nervously.

"We have to get help… he'll die at this rate…"

"Wait, look." Max whispered, a cough securing his statement. Ray swallowed and watched as Kai's grey eyes slid open slightly, a name emerging from his lips.

"Ray?"

Ray could feel relief flow from his veins, overtaking his nerves and letting him have at least one moment of peace. The guards and security that were trying to take down the door earlier were now in the room cleaning up the damage. A rather timid Tala made his way towards the fated four who remained on the floor of glass.

"Is… Is Kai alright?" Tala asked, kneeling down to join them. Ray nodded slightly, turning back to Kai who had silenced and kept a steady gaze at the nothingness before him. The glass window was repaired first, along with the taking away of all the shattered pieces that lined the floor.

"I think it's best if we put him under constant surveillance now." Tala remarked, standing up to write something down upon his notepad that he took out from his pocket. "It's the best we can do under the circumstances. No one must know about this."

Ray and the others stood up as well, Ray feeling Kai motionless in his arms.

"What he needs now is a little rest." Tyson said, motioning towards the bed in the corner of the room. A few men had cleaned up the room nicely enough for the bed to be unearthed, and seeing this as an opportunity to rest Ray walked over carefully. He stole a glance at Kai and realized that the only thing that Kai had done since his attempted suicide was speak his name. For some reason, this shook Ray's heart.

Placing Kai down gently upon the bed, Ray fixed the sheets around the frozen Kai and waited as the others joined him. Max pulled up a chair for himself and sat down, sighing and rubbing his temples. Tyson had his hands in his pockets and didn't seem too keen on saying whatever was in his mind.

"We'll need you men to leave now. We have to fix the room and let out a report." A guard approached them all, speaking sternly. "It would be best to leave Mr. Hiwatari here under our watch."

Ray paused, hesitating. Something had led them all there together, something had pulled them all to Kai, and now being pulled apart felt unnatural.

"If… that's what's best…" answered a rather soft spoken Max. Tyson turned his head to Ray, as did Max. They stared at him, as if waiting for his approval. Ray pursed his lips and remained silent for a few seconds, thinking of his answer.

A firm grip on his wrist made Ray whirl his body around to see a frozen faced Kai under the sheets, his hand firmly planted around Ray's wrist. Trying to wriggle his wrist free proved to be no use, as the grip was firm and tight. Taking a breath and giving in, Ray nodded slowly.

"I think… we have to stay here."

* * *

_All of you… all of you came… came to see me… _

His body refused to move, the sensation of falling downwards finally exiting his system after hours of bed rest. He had not eaten, and he had not gotten up. His body refused him all this time, and only now his system responded.

His hand managed to get a hold of Ray before he left; making the three men stay in Kai's wake. He didn't want to be left alone here to die a certain death. He was alone enough as was.

_They all came… _

Ray sat upon the bed, constantly watching Kai for any signs of movement. Kai could see that something within Ray had changed; maybe Ray had realized something from his other self. Max remained upon his chair with his hands folded neatly on his lap, waiting for Kai's movement. Tyson refused to sit and remained standing with his back against the wall.

He did not recognize any of them when they stood by him, they had changed. Max looked softer, but more secure. Tyson was different completely, resembling the Tyson he knew from someplace else. The man who sat on the bed with him was the most changed however, as Ray watched him genuinely for hours.

The room had been abandoned for them, and the only thing that could be heard were the occasional sighs coming from either Max or Tyson and the ticking of the annoying clock on the wall. Kai swallowed softly.

"You…"

At his word Ray's ears perked, his eyes visibly widening.

"Kai… You're alive… Thank God…"

Kai closed his eyes again and tried to get up, feeling strong hands aide in his quest. The hands pulled him to his butt and more hands led him to a soft pillow that supported his back. Feeling some pain in his side Kai gripped at his chest, but felt no ease.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Max asked him, leaning in for a better look at Kai's wounds. Kai lifted his hand slowly and looked down, refusing to meet Max's eyes. Softly, he shook his head. Max quieted and sat down again, fixing his pants.

Kai turned his head to the window that was fixed now, rain softly patting on the glass. From the side he could hear Tyson.

"You had us all worried."

Kai gazed at him now, feeling emotion stir in his heart. Tyson's eyes were filled with sorrow, Kai could see that much. His arms were folded and his feet were set, but his body language screamed despair. His brown eyes traced over Kai, and very slowly Kai's hands gripped at the bed sheets. His heart pounded loudly in his ears.

"Kai… what were you thinking?"

A soft voice tore Kai's gaze away from the sheets and into golden eyes.

"What were you thinking?" Ray asked, moving closer to him. "What was going through your head? What happened… that you didn't see any other way out?"

All at once every bit of pain Kai ever felt in his life resurfaced into his chest and he let out a small animalistic sound that he could not identify. Ray flinched at his action, but did not back away. Instead, he came closer to Kai, never taking his eyes off.

"Kai… talk to me. What happened?"

Kai's lips trembled a bit, his heart pounding so loud in his chest that he felt as if he were going to explode.

"I… I messed up… I ruined… everything… I don't… belong… here…"

"What do you mean? You're Kai… of course you do." Ray replied softly, sighing. "Maybe… you're thinking of the wrong here. Maybe you're thinking of those… other…" he paused, trying to form words. "Friends… maybe you're thinking of not belonging with them."

Kai sat up straighter, his eyes widening. Ray offered a small smile.

"We… figured out what happened." He said softly. "You're… from another universe… right? That's how… you knew us. All three of us. You knew us… because we're the other… the other form of your friends… the 'friends' you knew from wherever it is you came from."

Kai breathed heavily now, feeling more of his heart tear into tiny pieces.

"Kai… we know you have to go back to your home… but… don't think that you don't belong somewhere. You do."

His heart was beating too loud for him to hear properly, and before he could speak Ray asked.

"Who are we… to you?"

The answers poured from Kai's mouth like warm water, soft and refreshing while keeping Kai's heart from breaking.

"Friends… my best friends… and here… because of me… I broke… I destroyed everything good about you…"

"That's not true." Tyson interrupted, now smiling faintly and turning his head to Kai. "When you… When I met you… I… saw something I hadn't seen in a long time… and because of that… I bumped up my game. Got a job… and went for help. I saw… who I really was. Someone reminded me that my life was still worth living."

"You gave me a new start… you lent me a hand when I most needed it… and you didn't turn your back…" Max added in a very quiet tone.

Ray nodded at them and gazed back at Kai, who shivered a bit. Kai knew that because of him they had ended up as such, but then again, he had also helped them.

"I want to know… what makes me so special… Kai."

Ray's voice commanded him and as Kai readied to answer Ray moved closer to him, almost on top of him now.

"I feel something when I look at you… I feel like I've been missing something and suddenly… you're there. You fill that void. What am I to you?"

The soft rain tapped on the glass, and all Kai could hear was every drop rolling down the glass and splashing onto his heart. He shook hard.

"You're everything to me…" he murmured, holding his head down. His hands turned into angry fists that clenched the sheets with all his might.

"You're everything… and I fucked it up… I threw you away when I had you… and because of that… the Gods punished me…"

His teeth clenched now as well, his eyes burning hard.

"I made a twisted wish and I had it granted… and now I can't go back… I can't ever go back…"

"What did you mean by… you threw me away?" Ray asked, tilting his head and trying to look at Kai. "Kai… what did you mean?"

"I… We were… together…"

Ray's head turned a bit, a quizzical look coming up in his eyes.

"Together?"

"Yes… you know…" Kai's hand hovered over Ray's for a mere second before flinching away, Kai's heart too hard to express his true interest.

Ray gazed at him evenly now, Kai returning his gaze. Something stirred within Kai's heart, and almost immediately before he spoke he could feel a soft hand come down upon his and clasp.

"Together."

The pounding in his ears grew louder.

"This feels…" Ray paused. "Right… It feels right… holding your hand like this… it feels right…"

Kai could feel both Tyson and Max's gaze upon him as he struggled to contain the boiling emotions that bubbled in his stomach and threatened to make him throw up. His body was weak, and his heart was beginning to grow even weaker.

"Kai… we were… together over there… then… why… why can't we be the same… here?"

"What… what?"

Ray blushed a little, turning his eyes away. "It feels right… and I know you now… I do. I feel like… I've known all of you for a really, really long time. So why… can't we be the same as we are… where you came from?"

At that moment Kai spat up blood, his body reeling forward violently. He heard Ray cry out in hysteria.

"Get him a medic!"

"No…"

Forcing his grip on Ray's hand tighter, Kai dragged Ray's attention away from the two men who stopped from getting help. Kai breathed in silently and coughed again, more blood leaking from his mouth.

"All I wanted… is right here… I wanted the recognition of my friends… and I didn't want to be alone here…"

More blood poured out and Ray's arms wrapped around Kai's body, holding him up. Kai knew he was dying at this point, and summoned up all his energy.

"I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry Ray… Tyson… Max…"

"Shh… don't talk." Ray tried to quiet him, but Kai shook his head, tears pouring from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry about everything… I never… I never appreciated…" his words died with his breaths, now coming too soon and quick.

He saw the tears well in Ray's eyes as well, and he felt the strong body holding him up begin to break.

"No… Kai… C'mon… we just met… we just met and you're going to die like this?" Ray asked, tears choking him. He held Kai up against him now, embracing him against his body.

"I won't let you go like this… I can't!"

"It's… it's alright." Kai replied, smiling sadly. Max and Tyson were trying desperately to contact someone on their phones, their eager voices telling everyone to hurry for a medic.

"You're going to be okay… someone will-"

Kai's nose was buried deep in Ray's hair, smelling the sweet shampoo he used. Using whatever energy he had left Kai wrapped his arms around his love and placed his head down softly upon his shoulder.

"Kai…"

"You still use that honey shampoo?" Kai murmured, blood staining some of Ray's hair.

"Don't… don't say things like that…"

"I never told you how much I liked it…" feeling his body begin to go, he realized he had lost all feeling in his lower half and now relied on his arms to keep him afloat as much as possible.

"Kai… Kai please…" Ray begged, rocking Kai back and forth. "Just hang in there a little longer… just a little longer."

He could feel Ray shuddering beneath him, the last of the feeling in his chest gone along with his arms. He knew now he was going to die.

"Ray… you're as big as I wanted you to be… you're perfect…"

"Kai stop…"

"Hey…"

With one last effort Ray pulled Kai towards his face and stared at him lovingly. Softly, Kai smiled.

"I love you."

His mouth refused to move now, all emotion and feeling gone from his face. He heard Ray's cry first before he heard the actual words behind the emotional cry.

"I love you too…"

As the last of his feeling left his body, Kai saw Ray's lips pressed against his in a desperate attempt to bring him back to life. He could speak no words or feel any sensation other than the warmth that Ray's body provided him.

Slowly his eyes dimmed, his ears finally dying out as he watched Ray's tears fall upon his face. Lips were pressed against him but he could feel nothing except the darkness that crept in upon him. Death was a slow taker.

His eye lids were closing fast, and Kai could see the darkness from all around him close in carefully. Nothing could be done now, nothing at all. He was going to die here… but he knew he had made a change. The last thing to stop was his heart, and as the mechanical part struggled to keep the organic part alive no blood was being transferred. This was at last his end.

Darkness surrounded him, and as he felt the death finally take him to another land he saw something out of the corner of his eye. A small girl stood near the wall towards his left, her fiery eyes upon him.

He could have sworn she was smiling.


	14. Home

A buzz forced his eyes to shoot open in frantic panic. Brown wooden ceiling tiles came into his view first, along with the sensation of being laid in a bed.

_Is this… heaven? _

Sitting up and feeling sheets fall off him; Kai stared down at his hands which opened and closed at his command. Putting a hand upon his chest he felt a beating heart.

_I'm… I'm alive… I'm alive! _

Sun shone through a window to his left and he put a hand up to cover his eyes, joy making his heart flutter.

"I'm alive… I'm alive… but then that means…"

Throwing the sheets off him he raced towards the mirror that was in the corner of the room, Kai nearly screaming in joy.

"I'm young again! I'm me! I'm home!"

Seeing his old clothes on a dresser Kai frantically tugged on all of his clothing and rushed out the door, flying through the hallway and into the kitchen where his friends were eating breakfast. The smell of well cooked meat and eggs filled his nostrils and immediately Kai saw Ray sitting with a bowl of eggs in his hand.

Ray stared at him blankly until Kai began shouting at all of them.

"Max… Tyson… you're both okay! You're both here!"

Tyson glared at him and tilted his head.

"Yeah and? It's not like we left or anything."

"You're the one who" Max began a sentence but Kai's hug was enough to make him stop. Tyson froze where he was and dropped his plate, seeing Kai hug him as well.

"Oh you don't know how happy I am to see you both!"

"Kai? Is this really you?" Tyson asked as soon as Kai let him go. "Are you sure you're the stubborn Kai who told Ray off yesterday?"

"Ray… Ray!"

Whirling around to see his love sitting with a confused look in his face Kai leapt over the table and into Ray's arms, knocking him over to the ground. He embraced Ray hard as Ray sat up, his ponytail getting caught in Kai's embrace.

"Kai…"

Kai could feel Ray moving beneath him but before Ray could say any more he pressed his lips against Ray's, feeling Ray freeze. When he released Ray he felt tears burn his eyes and pass down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry… about everything… I'm no good for you… but I'll try… I'll try really hard… to make everything up. We can have that shopping spree you wanted… a-and we can get that cat! You wanted a cat right? We can get you a dog as well and-"

"Kai." Ray said, Kai stopping his words. Kai stared at Ray for a few more seconds before feeling his bottom lip tremble.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" he embraced Ray again, who in return hugged him back. Kai's tears dripped onto Ray's shirt and he felt Ray sigh, stroking Kai's back.

After much coxing and kisses Kai finally felt normal again, Ray by his side and telling him that Kai was forgiven ten times over. Tears were never expected to come from Kai of course, but with a change of heart anything was possible.

His friends wanted to know exactly what happened to make his heart so light now, and Kai told them everything he remembered from his experience. He told them about their other selves, their lives and what he had. He told them how lonely and lost he felt, how everything he touched died or had become too corrupted to save.

His tale made their eyes widen, and even as they tried to explain that he was sleeping the entire time Kai insisted that he had actually travelled there. He had admitted his wish to them as well, to which he got many punches. They forgave him however, if he promised to never berate Ray again. Kai made his promise, and even thanked Ray for taking him back so quickly.

"So… I was that big huh? Almost seven feet tall?" Ray asked bashfully, sipping at the tea that was getting cold on the counter. Kai nodded back at him.

"You were huge, and your hair was loose. You had piercings all over your ears too."

"That would hurt."

"You looked really good. I would love to see you get one."

"In your dreams."

Kai smiled at Ray, who smiled back softly. The afternoon sun was already setting with the dusk of day, and Kai turned his head to see the day pass. His tale had taken the entire daylight, but in the end his friends had every right to know what had happened.

He had grown old, learned a lesson, and returned a new person. If his friends had not found him again, he would have been lost.

Getting up from his seated position, Kai rubbed his hand gently on Ray's head.

"I'm going to change. I'll be right back."

Walking towards his room he could hear the laughter of his friends at the spoken thought of seeing Ray with loose hair. Of course Ray would never do such a thing, he was conservative. Maybe 'he' would though.

Walking into the guest room where his clothes lay, Kai knelt down gently towards the floor as his eyes spotted something in the open doorway that led outside.

The cherry blossoms caught in the wind, drifting down to him and surrounding him with a sweet scent. In the branches of the tree Kai saw a few red birds fly up into the sky, calling their mates towards them. The light of the sun was disappearing in the sky but left the fires of its light in Kai's eyes.

As he peered down upon the floor he smiled and nodded his head, bowing down.

"Thank you."

A single red feather lay on the ground; its beautiful stem glittered with gold and orange.

'She' was watching.


	15. To The Readers

Dear Readers,

Thank you all for taking the time to read this long and extensive story. For those of you who stayed with me since Chapter 1, thank you for waiting almost a year until I finished it! This was a long and drawn out process, as my family has been going through some tough times. I am in college and these FanFics do take some time, but that didn't stop my fellow readers from getting their long awaited chapters! Thank you for all your support and constructive criticism (which is always appreciated), and also thank you for those people who wrote their opinions about each and every chapter.

In reality, what matters most is you, reader. The point of writing is to connect with your readers on a different level, and if you feel emotion when reading my story, then I have done my job.

Thank you all, and remember, the sky is the limit.

- Anoka


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